The Dance of the Firefly
by krystalMage
Summary: CHP 7 UP!."For a little while, he could steal her away from the world." The cold, the rain, an isolated hut and the Shinsengumi is a recipe for a story.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary**: When a captured assassin escapes, he takes a hostage along as insurance. Now she has to lead him to safety or he will kill her. Will she be able to ever return? AU. BKK. "She was the girl he had watched from across the fence, he would know her anywhere."

**Disclaimer**: Kenshin doesn't belong to me.

**Rating**: T, rating may go up in later chapters for language and adult content.

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**The Dance of the Firefly**

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**Chapter 1: Set Me Free**

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The rain had been pouring incessantly for the past three days. The water had nowhere to go so it clogged the streets, filling them up. The dirt and the mud of the village roads mixed with it and floated around the village. Children sat on the raised platforms circling their houses to watch as the water rushed first one way then another as the ground shifted underneath it. The wind also ran in, pushing the raindrops against their little faces.

They laughed with delight and surprise. The cold water tickled them and made them shiver. They held their noses and hid sneezes in their sleeves so that their mother wouldn't see them and stop the fun by making them go back inside.

In the house across the waterlogged street, a lone chicken sitting alone in the pen flapped its wings and jumped out of the coop. It scampered around in the rainwater, beating its wings and screeching loudly. The rain made it happy.

Unfortunately, its happiness didn't last very long. A firm hand picked it up from where it was wading and pretending to be a duck and put it back inside the coop, adjusting the lid securely so that the dance of freedom wouldn't be repeated again. The chicken soon made its displeasure apparent. The ensuing caucus from the coop drowned out the sound of the rain.

The girl ran back to the house. She made a sound of annoyance as she looked down at her clothes. She was drenched from the waist down because the yard was flooded and she'd had to run through the water. Her socks and slippers were completely wet. She held one end of her kimono and wrung it out. Flapping her arms up and down several times, she tried to shake the water out of her sleeves. She untied her hair and ran her fingers through it. It was dry at the scalp so she decided to let it hang for a while before tying it up again.

Silently she surveyed the damage done to the house by the rain. The roof was leaking in several places. The yard was a complete mess. The haystacks were lying about scattered all over the place, half drowned in the water. They were useless now. She sighed. The rain had spoilt everything. Things were bad enough without the freak rainstorms joining in to increase their troubles.

A woman's voice called out from within the house. "Kaoru! Come inside child. It's cold out there." The girl sighed again. She turned and went inside, sliding the door firmly in place behind her. A woman sat in the middle of the wooden platform, trying to coax a flame to burn. What had once been a beautiful face was now worn down with worry and sorrow yet for all this her narrow frame had a vast reserve of strength. She was not the girl's mother but was the only person in the house who showed her affection. Her name was Tae.

She looked up now as her stepdaughter came and sat down next to her. Kaoru gently blew on the glowing embers. Little flames begun to spout instantly. Tae put some dried leaves on top of them to give them fuel. Shortly a fire was burning, and a pot of everything edible inside the house was merrily mounted on the flames.

Tae turned her attention to Kaoru. "You're completely soaked, sweetie. Go, hurry up and change or you'll catch a cold. Then your father will be in a foul temper."

Kaoru nodded quietly and quickly changed out of her wet clothes. "I should not provoke him."

"That would be best. Don't worry; you can go visit Misao once I'm finished here. I'll tell him that you've left early for the garrison." She stirred a ladle inside the pot.

Kaoru firmly shook her head. "Don't do that. He'll come to ask for me at the fort, and then you'll be beat for lying as well as me."

Tae's hand stopped. The ladle hung limply inside the pot. She looked at her. "I wish I could take you away from all this. If I had the money, we could escape to my old home in the mountains." She looked down. Kaoru smiled, and hugged her.

"We would miss the village in the mountains. You are with me. I am happy Tae. It's enough." She hurriedly laid the wet garments on the other side of the fire. If her father found out that she had wet her normal clothes and had to wear the other, nicer kimono, he would be furious. But then, he became furious over everything she did. Koshijiro Kamiya didn't even need an excuse to yell at her. The fact that she was alive was more than enough for him. He hated her.

There was a reason why he volunteered that his only child; a young and beautiful girl would help with relief work at the garrison. The war with the rebels had begun five years ago, and still showed no signs of abating. Instead, with every day that passed, it was becoming even more violent, more furious and destructive. The rebels were beginning to penetrate even the countryside to shed blood. Everyday, farmers were becoming mute witnesses to intense sword fights, ending only with a roughly hacked corpse.

The shogun had set up a hospital within the garrison where men were treated for injuries and given treatment. It was a surrounding filled with death and disease. The doctor and soldiers at the garrison were shocked to see Kaoru appear day after day to help take care of the dying. They were thankful for the help yet they wondered at the family of the girl who let her come into this sickly quagmire day after day. But with every day that passed, Koshijiro's frustration increased. Because Kaoru would not fall ill, she contracted no disease, she didn't even die when the rebels ran through the village one night, killing and hacking anyone who was seen. There was a reason why he did all these things. He wanted her dead.

Everyday in his prayers, he wished for her death, yet the gods would not heed him. Instead, they gave the child health, compassion and beauty. Exasperated with her sunny smile and happiness despite his undisguised hatred of her, he decided to bring home the proverbial stepmother. Koshijiro met Tae when he had gone to pray at a larger shrine in another district. (Perhaps Buddha would hear his plea and kill his daughter if he prayed at bigger shrine?)

He was in such a hurry to unleash the evil stepmother on Kaoru that he failed to realize one very important thing. Tae was an extremely kind and soft hearted person. When she saw the treatment meted out to her stepdaughter by her own father, Tae's heart melted and she became a solid wall of support for Kaoru. That was the day he threw away his prayer beads. The inconceivable had happened. Buddha had given the devil another ally.

The next day he had gone and told the captain at the garrison that his daughter would be helping at the hospital and also in the garrison's fields. The backbreaking fieldwork and grueling care taking at the hospital would soon give her death. Then he would be free of her. Free of that child of sin.

There was a reason he made her walk alone back from the garrison to the village. There was a reason he didn't allow her to go to the fields with anyone else. There was a reason he wanted her to sit next to those who were at death's door. There was a reason for it all.

Kaoru was a love child. She was a child born of the love between her mother and the man she was in love with, a man who unfortunately died before he could marry her.

Her birth and the fact that she looked more and more like her mother every day was a constant reminder to Koshijiro of his failure to gain the affections of the woman who had once been engaged to his friend. It had been a slap on his face when she told him that she was with child and that it belonged to someone else. He had knocked her over but even with a blackened eye and cut lip, she was smiling. Smiling at his helplessness, and his defeat.

Kaoru had the same midnight blue hair, the same build, the smile that used to melt his knees but her eyes…two glittering orbs of sapphire blue belonged to her father, his friend. He was a man who had been drafted to fight in the shogun's wars because he had no means to pay his way out like Koshijiro.

Every day that Kaoru lived and prospered, a knife twisted viciously in Koshijiro's heart. And there was nothing he could do about it…. yet. But it takes only a small moment to change the course of a person's life and bring about untold upheaval. For Kaoru, that moment was near, very near.

The man who would wreak havoc on her life, her mind and her soul was waiting for her even now, as she quietly walked towards the garrison, her hands holding a small chest of herbs and homemade medicines and her eyes on the road.

But she was completely unaware of this.

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The garrison was an old fort perched on the side of a hill just beyond the rice fields of Kanen village. Fields of rice that belonged to the garrison were contained within the walls of the fort. The office of the commander of the fort along with the blacksmith's forge, the armory, the hospital and the cells for the prisoners were located inside the fort.

The hospital and the prisoner cells were directly opposite to each other, but both looked out on to the fields. There was a fence of bamboos in front of the prison cells; the idea was to block the view. But the fence was old and gaps had appeared between the poles. If one put his eye next to a gap, it was easy to see what was going on in the field.

If the prisoner was an officer he was given basic treatment to keep him alive otherwise he would be dumped inside cell and never seen again. Every few days, if someone remembered, the prisoners were brought out of their cells in chains and let out in the fresh air. On most days, the guards forgot or they couldn't be bothered but today was not one of those days.

A small group of seven prisoners had been let out. They were taken outside their cells and the iron balls attached to their feet were chained to the fence. There was nowhere they could go without being killed. The men wore a look of desperation. They weren't even trying to look for ways to run away. Indifference to their existence and the deathly silence that greeted their screams of pain had robbed them of the revolutionary fire that used to burn in their eyes. Now all that remained was a gray calm, the hollow vacuum of a human being.

They all hung their heads as they sat on the ground bound to the chains as much as they were bound by them. These men had accepted defeat. They didn't want to look at the world outside. The sunlight, the fresh wind that swept across the rice fields, the laughter of children playing far away did not comfort them. Instead, the vision of normal life aggravated their loss and made them cringe. All they wanted now was to die.

All save one.

He sat apart from the prisoners, facing the bamboo fence. His body was slight, muscles coiled tautly around his bones; there wasn't even an inch of extra flesh on him. His blood-colored hair hung around his face in a messy tangle. He was crouching on the ground, perched upon his toes, trying to get as close to the gap in the fence as he could. He wasn't trying to escape. He was just trying to look outside.

A heavy gust of wind blew in. The fence rattled from the impact. The man closed his eyes and smiled, breathing the crisp air deeply. He held his breath for a few moments and then exhaled slowly. His body shivered. He had forgotten how deeply pleasurable even the simple act of breathing could be. He grinned and sat back against the fence.

A guard came and stood in front of him. He just sat staring at the guard's feet for some time. Finally, he lifted his gaze and looked up at him, his eyes still hidden behind his crimson mane. The guard moved away.

The prisoner turned towards the fence once again. He clutched the bamboo tightly and peered out. The rain had stopped. Colors looked sharper and more concentrated. He squinted; his eyes had forgotten the sight of the countryside after a heavy bout of rain. He wondered if he'd see her again. Would she be among the villagers who came to work the fields?

He smiled as he remembered her. She moved like a child did, half running half walking as she made her way to the garrison. She would often stop and breathe heavily while she worked. He wondered if they were working her too hard or whether the breathlessness was just because her breast bindings were too tight. His lips curled into a smile. The second option was more likely. She would hunch sometimes, as if she were willing her chest to disappear completely. He shook his head slightly. If only she knew….

He was feasting his eyes on the vibrant splashes of green that surrounded him when he saw ….her. He gripped the bamboo even more tightly. His pulse quickened. His knuckles turned white with the pressure he was putting on them. He pulled his breath in.

She was back. She had come again. Perhaps his eyes were playing tricks on him. Maybe it wasn't her, but someone else. No it was she. There was no mistaking it. It was her. He would know her anywhere. He closed his eyes.

She had saved him from going insane in that dark hole they called a cell. He had been saved from madness because he had seen her one day months ago. After that day, each time they brought him out, he would sit here and wait. Sooner or later, she would come. He could look at her and feel alive again.

His blood frantically rushed through his veins each time he looked at her. It was nothing but lust; sheer animalistic, obsessive desire for her but it had saved him. He had found the will to stay alive and stay sharp. If only for an empty promise to himself, that once he escaped from the fort he would find her. It kept him from giving up.

He opened his eyes and looked at her again. She was working in the field in front of the fence. Her midnight blue hair was tied up in a ponytail. She bent over; sickle in hand, slowly working around the vegetable patch. She carefully pulled out the weeds that had sprung up in the two days that she had been working on another field. She moved closer to the fence.

His eyes widened. She was so close. She bent, once again exposing the milky white skin of her neck and collarbone and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. A small bead of sweat rolled down her cheek, it slid down her neck. The prisoner's breath hitched in his throat. He followed the bead of sweat with his eyes as it disappeared inside her kimono.

She straightened suddenly as someone called her. She waved her hand and nodded. As she turned to leave, she stretched her arms wide and hitched her shoulders back. He looked at her arms and wondered, not for the first time, what it would feel like to have them wrapped around his neck. The feel of her soft body pushed against his until there was no space left between.

The comfort of her soft, warm arms, her smooth skin slicked with sweat, the velvety feel of her inner thighs, the sharp gasp of surprise as he touched that sweetest spot, that bubble of hot poison that would explode deep inside him as he took her higher and higher. He shut his eyes and slowly exhaled. His knuckles were pulsing with tingles as blood slowly spread into his hands. He licked his lips.

He sat back against the fence once more. His fellow prisoners looked at him curiously. He grinned, then threw his head back and laughed. They looked at him in shock before exchanging nervous glances amongst themselves.

He wasn't likely to catch _any_ sleep tonight.

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**Author's Notes**

Konnichiwa minna-san!

This little idea wouldn't let go of me so I had to get it out of my system. Please review and tell me what you think so far. By the looks of things, this is going to become steamier. Read and review!!!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary**: When a captured assassin escapes, he takes a hostage along as insurance. Now she has to lead him to safety or he will kill her. Will she be able to ever return? AU. BKK. "She was the girl he had watched from across the fence, he would know her anywhere."

**Disclaimer**: Kenshin doesn't belong to me. He and all the characters of Rurouni Kenshin were created by the fabulous Watsuki Nobuhiro.

**Rating**: M

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**The Dance of the Firefly**

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**Chapter 2: The Chains That Bind Me**

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Two moves. Just two more moves. Katsura narrowed his eyes faintly and waited. Two moves more on the board were all that he needed to win the game and persuade Satsuma to join forces with him. There was complete silence in the room as both leaders stared pensively at the wooden board placed between them. Their respective body guards leaned against the wall, watching but unconcerned with the movement of the stones on the board. Instead, their eyes and ears were tuned into the night, listening and waiting for the slightest whiff of danger. Their swords were resting loosely in their sheaths and their fingers clenched with the strain. The only sound that could be heard was the faint rustle of the breeze as it kissed the rice paper doors, and the insistent chirping of the night cicadas and crickets. 

Outside, the winds howled through the bamboo grove. The racing waters of the stream behind the house gurgled and swooshed. The breeze carried the scent of the wet earth to the house. The men sitting inside however, were unaware of the play of the elements beyond the papered walls. Katsura watched the slow dance of shadow and light on the board. The shadows cast by the stones on the board seemed to lengthen and shorten as the flames danced madly in the lamps. He shut his eyes. How had they let things deteriorate to this extent? Blood was being spilt like water in the frenzied dance of the revolution. It had cast the entire nation into chaos. It was time to end the conflict and bring about a resolution. Too many lives had been lost; too much blood had been spent in the fighting. When the reasons and ideals behind a cause are forgotten, those that fight are reduced to puppets; puppets of death and destruction who do not understand their own actions.

Katsura held his fingers to his chin, his eyes darting all over the board, checking if he had left any weakness unguarded, any opening that his rival might seize upon to turn the game around. He allowed himself an infinitesimal smile. He had missed nothing. Every potential danger to his strategy had been effectively contained by his white stones. Satsuma had only one position left to play, only one spot to place a stone, and that one move would seal the game in his favour. Katsura relaxed and took a deep breath. His gamble had paid off. Each stone he had lost in the beginning and every square of territory he had willing conceded to Satsuma during the initial stages of the game would support him now.

The light flickered as a moth dizzily flew towards the flame, dying in a burst of fire the same moment it convinced the flame of its love.

Across the board, Satsuma sighed. He kept his eyes on the board for a few moments before bending his head slowly and conceding victory to Katsura. The tension in the room jumped up a couple of notches while everyone waited for the outcome of today's secret meeting. The game was not merely an idle means of entertainment for the two stalwarts leading the revolution. It was a meeting to strategize, to mend relationships and to strike bargains.

The leader of the Satsuma faction, Saigo Takamori picked up his fan and considered the proposition set before him by Katsura.

"You are exact in your assessment of the situation Katsura-san. We cannot allow this battle to drag any further. Something must surely be done."

Katsura bowed in respect to the older man. "Takamori-san, you are a wise and experienced man. You have seen more battles and have helped resolve more conflicts than I could ever hope to. It is precisely for this reason that I request you to lend us your wisdom and help both the factions of the Ishin Shishi to finish the battle we began for justice, for freedom and for a better world."

Satsuma paused and looked slyly at the younger leader. "You expect me to believe that you are asking for the life of this man for justice and freedom?"

Katsura stilled his movement momentarily before looking at Takamori directly. "Takamori-san, this man is crucial to the success of our goals. His gift is precious. It is not something meant to be wasted in captivity. Your men are held captive at the same village as mine. At this point in time, we must attempt to free them, not allow them to rot away in the prisons of the shogun. Surely, you recognize the validity of this request."

"Request?" Satsuma swooped in on Katsura's words. He was prepared to latch on to anything that would allow him to leave the meeting with an advantage over the younger leader.

Katsura understood. He clenched his teeth inwardly, but he forced himself to smile politely. "You are a guide and an ideal to us all, Takamori-san. I request you to help free my men from that prison. I know you will not disappoint me."

Satsuma smiled broadly. He picked up his fan and held it against his cheek in a gesture that would have seemed elegant on another man, but ended up looking ridiculous on him. Katsura maintained a straight face. He waited for an answer.

"You possess a silver tongue Katsura-san." For all his bulk, he moved nimbly and stood up smoothly. His bodyguard moved in a flash and appeared beside him.

Katsura stood up and waited. Satsuma smiled once more. "Do not fret Katsura-san. Our men will not remain in that prison for long. By the way, may I know the name of the person you would like rescued from that garrison?"

"Himura. Himura Kenshin."

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The night had fallen silent. When the final call of a night bird was heard, the men straightened and prepared to leave. Katsura looked ahead at the trail they were following. It was one of the many weaving paths leading back to the lodging town they had stopped at on their way to Nara. He was satisfied with the outcome of the meeting. Satsuma could not go back on his word now without completely dishonoring himself. He smiled. Soon. Very soon Kenshin would be free and the madness that had emerged from the fires they had lit to oppose the shogunate would be quelled.

"Katsura-sama!" His lieutenant spoke up from behind him. Katsura turned and looked at him. The man seemed to be struggling with himself, unable to decide whether or not to speak. He stopped in his tracks and waited for him to speak.

"Katsura-sama, you should not have allowed them such a liberty. They do not respect you and honour you as they should."

"What are you talking about Yamada?"

"Takamori-sama was trying to patronize us by suggesting that he was risking his men to rescue Himura-san. Even he cannot be unaware of the importance of Himura-san to this revolution. Takamori-sama cannot pretend as if he does not even know who Himura-san is!"

Katsura smiled. "Is that all you're worried about? I had thought it was something serious." Having said that, he turned and began walking once more. Yamada stared after his lord in confusion.

"Katsura-sama! How can you shrug it off so easily? It's a slight on your honour."

"You seem to be more concerned about my honour than I am," he replied, a bemused smile lingering on his face. Yamada blushed.

"I beg your forgiveness Katsura-sama. I forgot my place." He stepped back in line behind Katsura with his head bent, and his eyes downcast. Katsura walked on silently for a few paces. He stopped suddenly.

"Yamada, when the wind blows fiercely and the storm grows stronger, the tree that does not bend shall snap and break, despite its strength. Think of my silence today as the bending movement of a tree that must kneel before the storm to hold its head high the following dawn."

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The musty smell of rotting leaves and the damp, dank walls was all around him. It crawled under his skin and interrupted the train of his thoughts. It forced him to look around and notice that he was a captive. It would not let him think. It would not let him sleep. The overpowering sense of being underground and in the hands of the enemy disoriented him. He had lost his centre, and he was beginning to feel giddy and delirious. He felt as though he had spent all the days of captivity drinking raw sake. His mind would not clear and his thoughts were muddled. He feared that his fingers were growing numb with every day that passed.

Kenshin sighed. He looked down at his feet. The guards usually took the iron ball off when they dumped the prisoners back in their cells. They hadn't bothered to check his (lack of) chains, but he knew better than to get hopeful because of it. They hadn't forgotten him. They had taken his shackles off only to return with heavier chains and clasped a much heavier sphere of iron around his left ankle. His lips twisted into a wry smile. He had only himself to blame after all. He had seemed happy; carelessly overjoyed the last time they had been let out. The guard had apparently failed to sleep on his watch and he had not been amused.

He had thrown caution to the four winds by laughing like that. The guards could forgive him any insolence but they could not forgive him his laughter. It was an act that robbed them of their dignity and purpose. They were there to guard the prisoners and make sure that they were broken. Laughing suggested that he was not taking them seriously. It meant that he was not afraid, that he had not yet been wrecked.

He sighed again. He really ought to be more considerate. He should at least pretend that he was repentant. Maybe then, they would give up on their pathetic attempts to destroy him. It was becoming a nuisance, an embarrassing one at that.

He lifted his eyes suddenly. A shuffling sound was coming from the cell next to him. He turned towards the wall. Darting a quick glance at the guard stationed in front of his cell, he slowly moved his hand to the shackle on his ankle. Gripping the thick chain firmly with his fingers, he lifted the iron ball up off the ground. He knelt and nimbly moved towards the wall. Once there, he dropped the chain, and fell back against the wall behind him. The guard turned.

Kenshin half shut his eyes and affected a look of extreme exhaustion. He hung his head haggardly, leaving his shoulders slack and letting his hands fall limply to his sides. The guard watched him coolly for a few seconds, a triumphant smile ghosting over his lips. He turned and stared ahead once more, his shoulders straight and proud. Apparently, the knowledge that the troublesome prisoner was weak and tired from the strain of pulling his shackles had warmed his heart and courage.

Kenshin opened his eyes once more. He smirked as the guard turned his back on him once more. He shuffled even closer to the wall on his left, and pressed his ear against the damp earthen wall. There it was again!

It was very faint, but it was there. Someone was scratching away at the wall, using fingers to scrabble away at the wall that separated the cells. The noise stopped. Kenshin strained his ear against the wall. His shoulder felt cold. The wall was damp. He wondered who the prisoner in the cell next to his was. It had to be someone they had caught recently, because the older prisoners would not even dream of trying to escape. They didn't dare think about escape anymore. They weren't waiting for an opportunity, but for death.

A few heartbeats later, the scrabbling sound of shifting earth began anew. Kenshin smiled. This could become interesting, if there was someone else who was just as eager to leave the garrison as he was, then it would be possible to get out sooner. He waited. If it continued like this, his neighbor would soon carve a way through the wall and then they could talk about getting out of here.

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Kaoru pushed the gate open carefully. It was very old and rickety; just a few bamboos lashed together with twine. If she had used any more force on it, it would have crumbled. She silently walked through the yard and opened the door to the house. Shutting the door firmly behind her, she turned around to find her father seated in the middle of the room, near the fire. Tae was sitting across him, looking nervously at her. Kaoru's heart sank. _What had happened now?_

Her father stared at her with hard, accusing eyes. "Where have you been? The other garrison workers left an hour ago. Who were you with? What took you so long? Are you an imbecile? Can't you judge what time it is?"

"I…I'm sorry. I...I was helping Misao clean out her yard."

"Why?" he sneered at her. "Is she paying you for it?"

"No…."

"Then what were you doing there?" Koshijuro spat out in fury.

"I … was just helping, father."

He smirked, a contemptuous glint lighting up his eyes. "Helping? Helping who? I heard her cousin is visiting. Did you think you might have a chance with him if you helped her?"

Kaoru stared at her father in shock. Pain welled up in her eyes. "Father! No…I would never…"

"You would never do something like that?"

"No…never."

"I see the way you look at him. It's disgusting. You think you stand a chance with him? How pathetic! A boy like him wouldn't even look at you twice. How dare you even think about him?"

"But father, I'm not!"

"Enishi is going to be a great man someday. Don't even think of ruining his chances by trying to know him in that way. You are worth nothing!"

"But father….it's not like that at all."

"Silence! Don't insult me by talking back or I'll beat you black and blue, do you hear me?"

Kaoru held her breath. She felt the air stinging in her eyes. Swallowing, she looked at her father once more.

"I have never shown you any disrespect father, and Enishi is…."

"Don't you dare take his name! You aren't even fit to be the dirt clinging to his robes. And if you can't stop, then go and beg him to take you as his concubine. He's the son of a nobleman, keeping a whore is no great matter for him. That's all you're worth anyway. You're nothing but a slut, just like your mother!"

Tae gasped. "Koshijuro, please don't say things like that. She's your daughter!"

""Quiet! She's no daughter of mine. She's a taint on the name of my family. And you would do well to remember that. Do you understand me?"

He stood and walked towards the door. Pushing Kaoru violently out of the way, he shoved the door aside and left the house. Kaoru shrank into herself. She pulled her knees to her chest and buried her head in her arms. She breathed quick and hard, gasping to try and stop the tears that were flooding her eyes. Tae sat down near her and tentatively placed her hand on Kaoru's head.

"Kaoru…"

Kaoru shook her head vigorously and tore away from Tae's arms. She didn't want to be comforted. There was no comfort, no consolation for her. Her own father believed that she was worthless, and not just that, he believed that she was nothing more than a whore. Kaoru ran out. She leaned against the wall, breathing hard and blinking, praying that this time the tears would not fall. She walked around the house till she reached the bamboo grove. Crying piteously, she fell to her knees. She sobbed loudly and banged her fist on the ground, creating a depression on the supple earth. Her fingers clawed at the earth, shaking with the strain she was putting on them. She shivered and then lay still. Sniffing once or twice, she wiped her nose on her sleeve and slowly sat up, leaning against the wall of the house. Kaoru stared up at the grey sky.

"Why does he always have to be so bitter, so cruel? Why does he hate me so much? Why couldn't you just kill me with mother?" She spoke in a whisper, directing her words to the empty firmament. Her tears mingled with the thousands of raindrops racing down from the heavens. The rain washed her sorrow away; it seeped into her clothes and gently lulled her to back to a place of calm.

Kaoru watched the raindrops fall from the sky, each seemed to swirl and skate on the air, beating down on the ground. She turned her head lethargically. A bellflower was defiantly jutting out of the ground. The rain was violently trying to force it to bend and break under the pressure, but it didn't break. Kaoru blinked. She reached out and held her hand over the delicate flower.

Her thoughts flew back in time to a golden afternoon; she had been lying on the bank of the river. Her fingers entwined with his, his eyes fixed on her face, trying to commit every inch of her face to memory. His fingers playfully curled around her hair. Her face was flushed; shyness and embarrassment colored her cheeks red, but he wouldn't look away.

"_You're like a flower Kaoru. One that smiles even in the rain."_

"_Enishi…."_

"_I know I have no right to ask you this right now, but…when I return from my journey, will you be mine?"_

_She sat up, pulling her hand away from his, she stared at him incredulously._

"_Enishi, you…you can't be serious…"_

"_I love you Kaoru, and I want to marry you. Why wouldn't I be serious about it?"_

"_But…what about your family?"_

_He smiled and pulled her back into his arms. He kissed her temple and whispered into her ear, "let me worry about them, they won't object, I will see to that. You just take care of yourself while I'm gone. A year will pass in no time, and when I return, I'll make you mine__"._

She drew her hand back. As the rain returned with new force, the flower crumpled and fell back onto the ground, crushed.

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The small piles of dirt that sat innocuously at the foot of the wall in his cell were the only signs that something was amiss. The guards however, had failed to notice it. Surely, the fighting outside had intensified. The better fighters and more alert wardens had all been sent out. Kenshin fervently hoped it stayed that way. Two days ago, the prisoner in the next cell had managed to scrape away enough at the wall, so that he could be heard. He had been sent by the Ishin Shishi. His comrades were responsible for causing the disturbance that had drawn out the garrison's forces.

Tsujai had explained everything to him. There was a mole inside the garrison who would help them escape the fort but once they were out of the garrison walls, they were on their own. Getting back to the Ishin Shishi when they were so deep inside enemy territory was not an easy task, but they would have to find a way to do it. There was another mole at the village. He was one of the shogun's men, whose loyalties lay with the shogun but whose purse was lined by the Choshu faction.

Kenshin flexed his fingers. He had not lost his strength in captivity. His hands and fingers had not yet forgotten the rhythm of the sword as it sliced through flesh and bone. He was the foremost hitokiri of the Ishin Shishi, and would remain so till the day he died. There was no man, no prison that could hold him for long. There was nothing that bound him but his belief in Katsura and the certainty that a new world would be born from the blood he spilt. A world where lord, vassal and peasant would be equal, where a person would be worth more than his weight in rice, where a woman would not be sold to pay her family's debt, and a mere child would never be forced to pick up a sword and become a murderer. His dream would live in the society that the revolution would create.

And till that dream was fulfilled, he would not die, would not bruise, and would not hurt. He was invincible for that world. He would live for it, readily die for it.

"_Tomorrow Kenshin, we escape tomorrow."_

Tsujai's raspy voice rang in his ears. He bent his head. His hand moved to the side, where the hilt of his sword would have rested. He stood. Imagining that his katana was at his side, he moved forward, loosed it in the sheath and swung a wide arc across the iron bars of the cell. He held his position for a few seconds before dropping the stance once more.

_Tomorrow….I wonder if she'll come before I leave…._

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**Author's Note**

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who read and reviewed this story. Your reviews have given me many moments of happiness and encouragement. It's so easy to give up and forget about writing, but all of you helped to keep me and this story going. Thank you.

Okay, for those of you who have suddenly gotten panicked, no I have not become corny overnight. Heh. This chapter took a long time in coming but I hope you all like it. Please review, whether or not you like it. Because any improvement, addition or omission to the story, is done only on the basis of your reviews. So if I don't know what you want/need from the story, I can't do anything about it.

And anyone who is also reading **Love, Lies and Empire** and **The Battousai's Return** can rest assured, updates are on the way!!!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary**: When a captured assassin escapes, he takes a hostage along as insurance. Now she has to lead him to safety or he will kill her. Will she be able to ever return? AU. BKK. "She was the girl he had watched from across the fence, he would know her anywhere."

**Disclaimer**: Kenshin doesn't belong to me. He and all the characters of Rurouni Kenshin were created by the fabulous Watsuki Nobuhiro.

**Rating**: M

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**The Dance of the Firefly**

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**Chapter 3: The Cage Breaks**

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Kyoto. It was a city of noblemen, of factions, political disturbance, revolution and bloodshed since time immemorial. It was an old city, a very old city. As is the case with ancient centres of human civilization and settlement, its history was written with blood. The blood that had been split in its streets seeped into its ground and mixed with its waters. It trickled into the bodies of its people. Ancient blood and feud wound its way back into the flesh and mind of the living.

Upheaval never died in Kyoto. It was alive, even now. The city woke and slept with mayhem. It would rise like the violent waves of the sea and be put to sleep by the blood of its citizens. The city would exorcise the spirit of chaos and turmoil every few decades before it woke again, hungry and thirsty for more.

Despite all that, despite the capricious nature of the city, there were those that loved her, who would rise again and again to kill and to die for her. These hard men roamed the streets by night and day, watching out for the slightest hint of trouble, ready to quell it in one stroke of their katanas. They showed no mercy, because they knew, if the tables were turned, no mercy would be shown to them.

Two of these men stood quietly in an alley near the docks. They were waiting for someone. The younger among them stepped forward and cautiously peered out of the alley. He turned his face first left, then right, carefully observing the silent dock. The dock had an abandoned, unused air about it. The few boats that were tethered to the iron plugs on the gangway seemed desolate. The man would have continued his quiet perusal of the area but he was suddenly pulled back into the alley by the tall man who accompanied him.

"Okita, does the term covert and secret mean anything to you?"

Okita turned to look at his colleague. He seemed a little taken aback at being pulled back into the alley by the scruff of his neck, but he seemed not to mind. He smiled.

"You're talking about our task, aren't you Sensei?"

The tall man nodded in silence. He looked every bit as ruthless as he was. The wolfish mould of his face often appeared in the nightmares of the men he had vanquished.

"Yes, that is precisely what I am talking about."

"In that case, covert and secret means a lot to me, Sensei."

He could hear footsteps on the stone gangway, coming their way. "Then I suggest you begin acting like it." Saitou hissed softly. Okita opened his mouth to protest, but Saitou silenced him by raising a finger to his lips and jerking his head sideways. Their contact had arrived.

He shuffled into the alley and smiled vacantly at the two Shinsengumi captains. He was shabbily dressed in a loose gi that hung open, revealing his scrawny chest. His hakama dragged on the ground, mud was caked on it. Okita felt repulsed by the filthy air surrounding the man. He unconsciously took a step back. Saitou frowned, as though the appearance of the man was a personal slur to him. Both the captains remained silent, each questioning the reliability of the information provided by such a source.

The man smiled widely, showing off a row of yellowed and mossy teeth. Okita curbed the instinct to gag and run. He turned his face away to hide his grimace. Saitou tapped his foot on the ground. He was just as eager to be rid of the fellow.

"What are you smiling about? Get on with it. Information is what we pay you for."

"I am honoured to be in the company of such esteemed and lordly men, Saitou-sama."

"If you have anything to tell us, say so, otherwise I believe I will be doing the city a service by sending you to the afterlife."

The man shivered. "But Saitou-sama, if you kill me, how will you learn the news I have to tell you!" He babbled.

Saitou turned away. "I doubt it will be of any great value. It was a waste of time to come here."

"No wait! It's about the Battousai! Don't you want to hear about the Battousai?" The man asked desperately.

Okita whirled around and stared at the man once more, studying him more carefully this time. Saitou stopped in his tracks. He turned. "The Battousai?"

The man nodded. "Yes Saitou-sama. I have news of the Battousai."

"Alright. Speak." He pulled his sword out of its sheath and rested the blade against the man's neck. "However, I must warn you. I will hold you responsible for whatever you say after this moment. I do not like to be trifled with, especially concerning the Battousai. Speak."

"The B…Battousai is being held captive… at a garrison south of Edo. It's a village called Kanen. But…but he won't be there for long. I have news that Katsura has struck a bargain with Takamori to free him and bring him back to Kyoto."

The man gasped. The blade had dangerously dug deeper into his skin. He looked wildly from Saitou to Okita.

"It's the truth, I swear!"

The two captains exchanged a glance. Saitou relented and removed his sword from the man's neck and sheathed the sword once more. Okita removed a small leather purse from his sleeve and threw it at the man's feet.

The man slid to the ground and greedily picked the purse up. When he looked up again, his interrogators were gone. He ran out to the gangway once more, but they were nowhere to be seen, it was as though they had disappeared into thin air. He pulled a dirty handkerchief from his sleeve and sloppily mopped his face with it. Pushing it back into his sleeve, he shuffled down the gangway, eagerly counting the thirty pieces of silver he had been given to betray his comrades.

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The storm was getting worse. The trees bent under the weight of the torrential wind sweeping through the valley. Kaoru huddled closer to the fire. The wind hammered against the wooden shutters on the windows. She rubbed her hands together and held them over the fire. Every few minutes, she would raise her head and stare at the door. Her father hadn't returned since he'd left earlier that evening, but she wasn't really worried about him. He was not a man who would put himself through any danger whatsoever to reassure anyone. He had probably decided to wait the storm out at the sake shop or the local brothel.

If she was worried about anyone, it was Tae. She had left to tend to a sick neighbour in the village two hours ago and hadn't returned. The storm had picked up soon after she left. Kaoru hoped she had decided to remain there and not try to brave the weather to come home. Tae was exactly the sort of person who would recklessly try to make her way home in a storm rather than let Kaoru stay alone in an empty house, if she thought that she might feel lonely or scared.

The door slammed in its frame. Kaoru jumped. She placed a hand flat on the floor to steady herself. The door shook with the pressure of the wind smashing into it. Kaoru turned her attention to the fire once more. She had to keep it alive till Tae returned. If the fire went out, they were going to be in trouble. The cold would kill them. She laboriously set to work, breaking small twigs from the pile of branches Tae had stored beneath the floor. She carefully placed the twigs one by one on the fire, feeding it, not allowing it to go out.

The flames began shooting up. Kaoru sighed and sat back. She turned towards the door once more.

_Tae, come home. _

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Kenshin sat silently. Tsujai was held captive in the cell on the other side of the wall he leaned against. They were going to break out of the garrison today. He was concentrating on staying calm and keeping his excitement under wraps. He was finally breaking free of this hellhole. His nerves tingled and his veins felt like they were on fire. He wondered what it would feel like to hold his sword once more, to hear the swish of the blade as it sliced through the air before it met its target.

He opened his eyes. It was time for the guards to switch their watch. He tensed and waited. He didn't dare raise his eyes, lest they give him away. On occasion he had been compelled to lie, it was possible, but not for his eyes. His eyes never lied. The guards conversed in low tones for a while, and then one of them left. Kenshin shut his eyes once more. He heard the turn of the key in the lock. He didn't move a muscle.

The iron bars swung away as the guard entered the cell.

"Prisoner, are you awake?"

Kenshin slowly opened his eyes and looked up. The guard stepped back. The prisoner's eyes seemed to shine so brightly, he was afraid that he might get pulled into the blaze. Kenshin stood in one fluid motion and walked over to the guard.

The guard collected himself, and jerked his head towards the door. Kenshin followed him without a word. When he stepped out of the cell, he looked around and found Tsujai already out. He was standing near a rack that held their swords. He turned to face Kenshin.

"We have to hurry. Which one is yours? We have about five minutes. The others will attack the fort soon."

Kenshin stepped up to the rack. He looked closely. Finally his eyes rested upon his katana. He smiled. Stroking the sword gently, he picked it up. Gripping the hilt tightly, he pulled it out of the sheath. The arc cut across the roughly made table in front of him. The table collapsed into two. Tsujai and the guard both stared at him. They exchanged a glance as he calmly sheathed his sword again and secured it at the hip.

The guard picked up a lantern from the ground and lit it carefully. He beckoned them both to follow him. Silently the three men made their out to the surface. The loud cries of battle and clang of steel could be heard clearly. The guard handed the lantern to Tsujai and disappeared. Tsujai grabbed Kenshin's wrist and pulled him behind the fence. The garrison was up in flames.

Tsujai turned to Kenshin. "I think they've begun the attack. Make your way to the village, and then go north."

Kenshin grasped his elbow. "What about you?"

Tsujai grinned. "I'm merely the messenger. I was sent to show you the way out of this prison. You have to make your way back to Kyoto. Katsura-sama awaits you."

Kenshin nodded slowly. Tsujai quickly explained the way back to Kyoto and the location of the house of the spy at the village who would equip him with supplies to make his way back to Kyoto. Finding the right house would be a challenge so he would have to be careful. He would face no trouble making his way to the village since the garrison soldiers and guards would be busy fighting the rebels. Once he was in the village, he was on his own. Wishing him good fortune, Tsujai drew his sword and joined the fighting.

Kenshin quietly made his exit from the garrison. He ran across the fields, bent low at the waist. His muscles felt a bit stiff but, the stiffness seemed to fall away as he ran. Faster and faster, he raced through the fields, the muddy water splashed on his clothes. It splattered on his face. He grinned. Freedom was cheap at this price. The wind tore at his face; icy needles of air slid against his skin. He shivered. He stopped.

The village was spread out in front of him. All he had to do was descend the hill he stood upon. He crouched low on the ground. The tall grass growing on the hill provided ample camouflage. He slowly surveyed his surroundings. They had no guards posed anywhere. He smirked. This village was so far away from the playing field of the revolution, that he doubted whether the villagers even knew that the country was gripped in the throes of war.

He looked down at the village. All the houses were built on the same design. They all looked the same, and he had to find the right house, or he would very likely be returning to the garrison. He swore softly under his breath. He ran the instructions given to him by Tsujai once more. He took a deep breath and stood up.

The grass rustled softly against the fabric of his hakama. Kenshin glanced down and sighed. He was also going to have to ask for clothes. He began his descent down the hill.

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The clanging of the great bell at the temple woke jerked Kaoru from her slumber. She sat up, startled. It was freezing. She shivered. Running her hands up and down her arms, she tried to gain a little warmth. She looked towards the fire and gasped. It had gone out! She scrambled to the remains of the fire. She picked up the iron pipe she used to blow into the fire and poked about the ashes, trying to find an ember that was still alive and aflame. She sat back dejectedly as she found none. She froze as she heard sounds of people running and fighting outside. She ran to the window and slowly lifted the shutter a fraction. She peeked out.

Her eyes grew wide. People were fighting in the middle of the street, chasing after each other! Some houses were burning. She saw a man running from the soldiers. He stopped in the middle of the street and threw a stone at them. Nervously, he looked around and then rushed into the first house he set eyes on, the house across the street. The soldiers surrounded the house and set fire to it. Screams and cries of pain could be heard as everyone inside the house began to run out one by one.

Kaoru dropped the shutter in panic. It slammed shut. She whirled around. There was fighting going on in the streets and Tae wasn't home yet. She prayed that she was safe and that none of the crazy people outside tried to burn her house down. She suddenly stood and latched the window shut tightly. She ran to the other end of the small house, shutting everything, making sure everything was secure. Finally, she grabbed a large stick from the woodpile and sat down against the door.

She jumped as the sound of low laughter reached her ears. The stick fell down on the floor, but she snatched it back up and stood, holding the stick threateningly in her hands. She peered into the darkness, she could make out a dark figure standing in front of her, leaning against the opposite wall.

"Who's there?" She called out in a voice she hoped sounded calm, unafraid and authoritative. She received no answer. The figure merely straightened and began to move. Towards her.

Kaoru swallowed. She took a deep breath and spoke again. "Who is it?"

The figure suddenly lunged towards her. Kaoru shut her eyes and swung the stick with all her might. The stick sailed through the air. She stumbled and lost her footing. She held her hands out to cushion her fall but before she hit the floor, she was caught by an arm that pulled her towards itself. She fell and landed on something soft…..something unfamiliar, something that smelt of the wet earth, and musty dry leaves. There was also the scent of sweat mingled with ginger and pine. Kaoru blinked a couple of times; trying to piece together what the smells were telling her about the person she was currently lying upon.

She gasped and tried to sit up. The man….it was a man, no mistaking that…wrapped his arms around her, making it very difficult for her to move. She pushed against his chest. He laughed once again. She felt her temper rise at his audacity. She curled her hand into a fist and punched him soundly in the stomach. He jerked and loosened his hold a little. Kaoru squirmed, trying to stand but was pulled down once more.

"What do you think you're doing?" She snarled.

Kenshin stared at her face. He almost trembled. It was the same girl, from the fields. He had never imagined that she would turn out to be the Ishin Shishi spy in the village. He had been so surprised to find her sleeping so soundly when he entered. He was spellbound by the innocent, peaceful look on her face as she slept. He had just sat there; staring at her while she slept. The fire died out but he hadn't cared. The icy wind penetrated into the house through the cracks in the door and windows but he hadn't bothered to shut them. All he wanted to do was look at this angelic figure lost in peaceful dreams.

Kaoru frowned. She punched him once more. He raised an eyebrow. She gaped at his shamelessness. He was giving her the raised eyebrow even though he was the one who broke into her house, he was holding her intimately without her permission and he was probably some prisoner from the garrison who managed to escape in the confusion.

She bristled and hit him a few times more. "I said what do you think you're doing? Answer me!"

"Trying to calm you down. The soldiers are still there, if you keep making such a fuss, they'll find us."

"That is exactly what I want! Let go of me!"

"Just calm down, relax", He rubbed her back gently with his hands. Kaoru cringed at feel of his hands, and pushed at him again. They struggled for a while.

A sharp knock on the door startled them both. They turned to the door and stared at it with apprehension. The door shook a little and then a strong knock slid the blot back in its place and the door opened.

Kaoru froze in fear as the figure in the door stepped forward. It was her father! Koshijuro took in the sight in front of him and stood perfectly still. His eyes glinted dangerously and for the first time in her life, Kaoru saw her father smile. The smile twisted his face. She had never seen a smile reveal so much hate and pleasure; she had never seen such satisfaction on his face. Her heart sank.

Koshijuro stared at the scene in front of him. A strange man lay on the floor. He was holding his daughter cosily in his arms. One hand was rubbing her back, the other held her cheek. In the pale light that was present inside the house, he could see that kimono was pushed low, low enough for him to comfortably see her cleavage and for the stranger to touch her breasts, if he so chose to do so. Nobody had believed him when he told them but, here was proof! Unshakeable and reliable proof that his daughter was the filth he proclaimed her to be.

In the olden days, she would have been dragged to the village square and stoned, then branded a whore with hot irons. It was a pity that custom had been ended centuries ago.

Kenshin looked from the girl to the man in the door. Everything slid into place. He was in the wrong house. He clenched his fists and waited. Kaoru struggled to break free once again, this time he let her go. She stood and ran her hands down her kimono. Stumbling slightly she made her way to her father.

"Father, its….its not what it seems. I…have no idea who this is. I…don't know how he got here and …I had nothing to do with it…Father…I…."

She gasped as his hand struck her. The sound exploded inside the house. Kaoru stumbled and fell. She touched her face in pain. Looking at him, she tried to justify herself once more. Koshijuro slapped her again, and again. He threw her against the floor and kicked her in her gut violently. He pulled her up by the hair and slapped her again.

Kenshin watched in horror as the brute she had called 'father' hit her again and again. His blood boiled in rage. His body seemed to shake as his eyes turned golden. His fists clenched and he shot forward, knocking him over. The girl was lying on the floor, limp and completely shaken. He gently lifted her into his lap and held her against him. He lifted his eyes to the man he had just flung across the room. The simmering fury in his eyes promised pain to him, long, lingering pain.

"How dare you hurt her?" Kenshin's voice was the barest whisper, yet his rage was obvious.

Koshijuro stood shakily. He wiped the mouth from his blood roughly with his hand.

"Hmph. I had no idea even whores had protectors these days."

Kenshin's eyes narrowed. "What did you say?"

"It's obvious that my daughter has been whoring for the garrison. Your presence here alone speaks for that."

Kenshin stared at the man in bafflement. He couldn't decide whether he wanted to shout and scream at him to stem his evil thoughts or simply slice through his heart with his sword. Before he could speak, the girl in his arms stirred. She pushed him away and stood before her father once more. She was calm now. She spoke loud and clearly, with her head held high.

"Father, don't think anything so dreadful of me. You're doing me a great injustice."

"Shut your mouth! I don't want to hear it. I always said it, and now I've been proven right. You are a slut, just like your mother!"

She winced but refused to cast her eyes down. Kenshin looked at her in admiration. _That's it girl, don't let him break you_.

Koshijuro glared at her. "Get out. Leave this instant."

Kaoru looked at him, startled. "Leave?"

"Yes, leave. Get out. I never want to see your face again. At least your mother had the good sense to sleep with a man of standing. You don't even refuse prisoners." He spat.

He turned away. Kaoru went to him, trying to talk and make him change his mind. As she drew near, Kenshin saw him pick up a poker from the floor. He gripped it tightly in his hand. Kenshin quietly picked up a wooden chest from the floor just in case the man decided to turn things ugly by hitting her again. As Koshijuro turned, poker held high above his head, his eyes gleaming in rage and madness, Kenshin brought the chest down hard on his head. Koshijuro froze, he stumbled. He fell to the floor with a crash.

Kaoru screamed. "Father! Father! Oh my god, what have you done to him? You've killed him. You killed my father!"

Kenshin rolled his eyes. He walked over to her, and dragged her to her feet by her arm. She was craning her neck, trying to reach the man lying on the floor, when he grabbed her shoulders and roughly shook her.

"Listen to me! Nothing has happened to him. He'll be fine. He's just unconscious."

She looked at him uncertainly. "He's alright?"

Kenshin nodded. "Yes, he's fine. Although, why you're concerned for an animal like him is beyond my understanding."

Kaoru turned away. "He's my father."

"Well, you certainly make a very happy family." He strode to the door and glanced back at her. He could hear voices and the sound of people running. There was no more time.

"We're leaving now."

"We? Leaving? What are you talking about?"

"In case you've forgotten, your dear father has thrown you out of the house. He won't be feeling too kind towards you when he wakes. Let's go."

"I'm not going anywhere with you."

"Yes you are sweetheart."

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her out the door. Kaoru resisted. "Hey! Stop it; I don't want to go with you."

He whirled her around, surprising her. "That's really unfortunate. But you're coming with me anyway Wide Eyes. I need to get out of this village and you're going to show me the way."

"Why don't you get someone else?'

"You're very easy on the eyes."

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. You don't even know me."

"It's a long road to Kyoto. There will more than one occasion to get to know you."

He pulled her forward, towards the door. Kaoru snatched her hand away. "You can't just tell me what to do! I am not going anywhere with you. This is my home and I'm staying here."

Kenshin coolly regarded her for a few seconds. "Look, I don't where you got the idea that you could talk back to me, but put it out of your mind. You are helping me find my contact in this village and then you will guide me out of this district and into Kyoto. Do we understand each other?"

Kaoru drew herself up. "No, we do not."

Kenshin stared at her. "I am a very patient man but there are limits to my understanding. Don't make me forget that I do not intend to hurt you in order to get out of here."

"You can do what you please, I'm not going anywhere with you."

He smirked. Suddenly, he moved forward and twisted her arm behind her back. Kaoru cried out in pain. He twisted it back further. She arched her back, trying to free herself.

"Did you know, it takes precisely one minute to break an arm? The muscles twitch and then you feel the bones and sinews stretching as you pull them in the other direction. You think the pain will stop after a while, that you'll become numb to it but it doesn't happen, the pain just keeps increasing and increasing…"

"Stop….stop…stop dammit! I'll show you the way!" He let her go. Her knees hit the ground. She held her elbow and rocked back and forth. She looked up at him hatefully.

"I hope you go to hell."

"Already there."

He grabbed her wrist and led her out the door. They raced across the muddy roads. Kaoru fell repeatedly. She kept turning backwards to look at her house, and the prisoner was walking too fast.

As she turned around one last time, she knew in her heart that this was perhaps the last time she ever saw her home again. She was caught between the misguided hatred of her father and the undisguised promise of death by the hands of the red-haired stranger who dragged her further and further away from everything she had ever known.

**Author's Notes**

Sorry guys too tired to write you a message. Happy reading.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary**: When a captured assassin escapes, he takes a hostage along as insurance. Now she has to lead him to safety or he will kill her. Will she be able to ever return? AU. BKK. "She was the girl he had watched from across the fence, he would know her anywhere."

**Disclaimer**: Kenshin doesn't belong to me. He and all the characters of Rurouni Kenshin were created by the fabulous Watsuki Nobuhiro.

**Rating**: M

Thanks to all my reviewers! I hope you all like this update. Let me know what you think of it.

Excuse any random spelling mistakes. It's 2 am and I really just want to post this, so if I make a few silly mistakes, please don't flame me. Although I don't think I've made any mistakes, but you never know. I'm a great speller. I'm a killer speller.

That's the sugar talking………

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**The Dance of the Firefly**

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**Chapter 4: The Spy in the Village**

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**Recap**

He grabbed her wrist and led her out the door. They raced across the muddy roads. Kaoru fell repeatedly. She kept turning backwards to look at her house, and the prisoner was walking too fast.

As she turned around one last time, she knew in her heart that this was perhaps the last time she ever saw her home again. She was caught between the misguided hatred of her father and the undisguised promise of death by the hands of the red-haired stranger who dragged her further and further away from everything she had ever known.

**End of Recap**

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The fighting had spread from the garrison to the village. Swords clashed loudly, almost drowning out the sound of feet running about. People ran wildly in the streets. The squads of bedraggled former soldiers banded together to serve as the 'home guard' by the shogun, were chasing the villagers themselves. Kaoru's heart sank. In all the commotion, nobody would notice the stranger dragging her along. Nobody was going to help her get away from him. Whatever she had to do, she had to do alone.

The prisoner crouched low behind a thick grove of bamboo, peering out between the poles. He flicked his gaze back and forth, as though he were looking for something. Kaoru tried to speak but her voice dried up in her parched throat. Her fingers felt numb. The prisoner held her hand, clamping her fingers tightly, cutting off the blood.

Kaoru looked him over carefully. His hair was matted and hung in clumps around his face. His eyes were veiled. Dirt and sweat seemed to be caked thickly all over his skin. She cringed in disgust. She had never seen a man so dirty. But then, he was a prisoner after all. He'd probably been held in a cell, tied up or chained, or both. How much of an appearance was he supposed to maintain in captivity anyway? Without a warning the prisoner stood and jerked her up, on her feet. He pulled a wakizashi from his belt and silently surveyed the grove. Turning the blade in his hand, he tapped the poles firmly with the hilt of the short sword. Nodding in satisfaction, he swung his arm and sliced across the poles of bamboo directly in front of them.

"What are you doing?" Kaoru asked cautiously. The prisoner was busily hacking away at the grove, creating a small path forward. Despite the incessant felling of bamboo poles, he hadn't let go of her hand.

"We need to get to that road." He gestured to the road beyond the grove.

"Yes, but why are we going through here? There's a road connecting this one to that path in the field behind us."

The prisoner grinned. "Yes, a road peopled with guards from the garrison," he turned to look at her, "you wouldn't want me to be caught, would you?"

Kaoru scowled. It would have been the easiest thing to cross the adjacent road and be apprehended by the garrison soldiers. The prisoner wasn't stupid. And it did nothing to help her situation.

The bamboo grove they had to cross was only a few feet wide but the going was slow since the prisoner would stop and freeze each time he heard a sound. The grove was very dense, bamboo shoots pushed and strained against each other, trying to pull the others down. The prisoner would push them away, and hold them in place, then jerk Kaoru forward so she could cross first. She didn't know what to make of his absent minded chivalry. As she carefully picked her feet through the thicket, she felt a sharp edge cutting across her shin. Wincing, she looked down, but couldn't see anything. She would need to examine her leg more carefully rather than trying to give it a glance as they ran around the village.

There had been a brief respite from the rain when the garrison was attacked, but as the fighting intensified, the rain returned. First, only a few large drops of water had begun to fall, but by and by the drops of rain transformed into a torrent. The streets had barely been drained before they were flooded once more with rain water. Kaoru's hair stuck to her scalp and she shivered as the cold water seeped through her clothes to touch her skin. She looked at the prisoner hopefully but he showed no signs of slowing down. It seemed as though the rain did not bother him in the slightest.

The mud was thick and viscous but even though she tried to drag her feet and slow them down, the prisoner kept marching forward. Kaoru groaned. The prisoner turned. He had tied her hands together with a piece of rope, connecting it to a short length of rope which he held firmly in his hand. He tugged at the rope. Kaoru was jerked forward. Her knees hit the ground and she felt an unpleasant crunch in her leg. She gasped from the pain. Biting back a curse, she glared at him viciously, and shook her head vigorously. She was exhausted and could promise that she had never been angrier in her life. She twisted her fingers around the rope and pulled hard. Limping to one side of the dirt road, she sat down on the stump of a tree. The prisoner walked over to her determinedly. He twisted another knot into the rope making it shorter. Without any warning, he pulled at it viciously.

The rope scraped roughly against her skin. Kaoru winced and looked up at him in annoyance.

"What?" She spat out.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"My hands hurt and I'm tired."

"I don't have the time to sit around. I need to get out of the village tonight." Kenshin said irritably.

Kaoru looked at him wearily. "Fine. Untie my hands. This is no way to treat a human being!"

"The rope stays. I can't have you slacking off."

"In that case, I can't do anything about it. I'm tired." Kaoru turned away. She was risking her life by being so reckless; she knew that. However, if the prisoner became angry enough to let his guard down, perhaps she could still run and find help.

"Get up and start moving. Don't make me repeat what we need to do."

A fresh wave of anger and annoyance swept over her and she rose to her feet, ignoring the pain that seared through her body. "We need to do nothing! You're the one who has to get out of here, not me! And besides, I am tired. In case you haven't noticed, the roads are flooded, my slippers have broken and I have a cut on my leg. I am in no position to walk right now. So, if you want to break my arm, because I refuse to move an inch more, you can go ahead and do it." She sat down once again. Bending at the waist, she wrapped her arms around her stomach and leaned forward, rocking slightly.

The prisoner didn't say anything in response to her outburst. He seemed surprised at first, and then started smiling as if he were amused. He bent and lifted the hem of her kimono. Kaoru instinctively jerked her leg and slapped his hands away.

"What is wrong with you? What are you doing?" She blurted out.

Kenshin sighed. He ran a finger along his brow and shook the water off his temples. Sitting back on his haunches, he glanced at her. "I am trying to see if there's something I can do for your leg. I need your help to leave this village. I can't have you stopping every five minutes. At this rate, I'd be thrown back into the dungeons before I even get to the edge of the district."

"Oh." She replied sheepishly.

"Yes. Oh. I am not trying to molest you or anything. I mean, there's a time and place for things like that." He raised his eyebrows as though he'd said something he hadn't meant to. "But we won't talk about that right now." He leaned forward. "Let me have a look."

He tried to lift the kimono but once again Kaoru stopped him. This time, she clutched his hand, not allowing him to move. Kenshin clicked his tongue in annoyance and look back at her.

"What now?"

Kaoru watched him quietly, as though she was trying to make up her mind about something. Finally she attempted to stand. "I'll walk. I'm alright."

"What? You're not tired anymore? Or you don't have a cut anymore?"

"No. I just…..look, it's alright. Let's just go."

"Were you lying about it, is that it? Stop wasting time like that! I already told you, I need to get out of this village fast!"

Her legs shook as she forced herself to stand. Staring at his face, or rather the mess of hair that hid his eyes, she whispered, "I do not lie. And I'm not lying now. I'll be alright."

"The hell you will. Let me look at it." He bent and gingerly lifted the cloth away. "Tell me where it is."

"On my shin," She replied reluctantly.

He whistled softly. Kaoru sat back on the stump and looked at him sharply.

"What?"

He swept his hair out of his eyes and looked up. Kaoru felt her eyebrows shoot up wildly. His eyes. She had never seen eyes so intense. It was as though someone had melted amethysts and poured them inside his skull. They seemed to gleam and shine. She leaned forward, curious to get a closer look. The prisoner seemed taken aback. He frowned and drew back a little.

Kaoru fought hard not to laugh at the befuddled expression on his face. He watched her as warily as a pigeon watched a cat. He dropped her hem and shuffled back a pace. Kaoru stifled a grin. She pulled a straight face.

"What's wrong?"

"You're too close."

Kaoru smirked. "So?"

"It makes me uncomfortable."

The silence stretched over a few seconds. Kaoru arched an eyebrow elegantly and sat up straight. The prisoner seemed to relax.

"You do realise how strange it is, that I would make you uncomfortable, considering our circumstances?"

"Why is it strange?"

Kaoru laughed bitterly. "You kidnapped me!"

The prisoner looked away. He rubbed the back of his neck slowly. "Do you think I brought you along because I thought you were weak?"

"What else could you have thought? You probably thought this girl has nobody to look for her once she's gone. There's nobody who would miss her or follow you to get her back. You thought that you would be safe if you took her with you."

"Does that make you weak?"

"Doesn't it?"

"I don't know. You should be the judge of that. I saw a girl who wasn't scared of being struck by her father to defend her honour. I saw a girl who had pride in who she was, and she stood up for it. And despite the accusations levelled at her, this girl is heartbroken to be separated from her family. She is willing to give a chance to the man who loathes her. I don't see any weakness there, do you?"

"You're not making any sense."

"You didn't panic. An enemy prisoner broke into your house, but you weren't too worried by it."

"What are you talking about? I was terrified!"

"Well, you did a good job of masking that terror. I couldn't have asked for a better escort to get me out of this place. So there you have it, I know you're not weak. That's the reason why you're here."

"That doesn't make me feel any better."

"That's another matter altogether. I can't do much about your feelings."

"You're insane."

"Am I?" The prisoner scratched his chin. "Maybe I am. I shouldn't be sitting here in the middle of a dirt road talking to you. Much too dangerous, but I don't mind. It's been very long since I spoke to someone. A cell is a lonely place to be in."

Kaoru stared at the prisoner warily. He pursed his lips and stood up. He held his hand out. She stared at the hand stretched towards her. The strange conversation had taken away her fear of the prisoner. She didn't feel afraid of him anymore; instead she felt a queer sense of empathy for him. He seemed slightly mad and pitiable.

"Come on. I've figured where we have to go."

"Have you?" Kaoru stood. The prisoner took her hand once more. They trudged down the road, deeper into the valley. Kaoru turned and looked back at the road they'd come from.

"Wait, what are you doing? This isn't the way out; there are more houses down there."

"I know. I need to find a certain house."

"What kind of house?"

"We have a mole in the village. I have to see him."

"A mole? In this village? That's not possible. This village has always supported the shogun. The shogun has been very kind to us, and he has very loyal supporters here."

The prisoner smirked. "Loyalty can be bought."

Kaoru bristled. "Not in this village!"

The prisoner kept walking. "Everyone has a price. You just need to know what it is."

"Do you have a price?" She retorted.

"Yes." She was stunned by the ready reply. The prisoner stopped and listened. He pulled her down behind a hedge, and peered over it. He scanned the area quickly.

"Alright. I think this is it. There's no mistake this time. Come on."

They crept out from behind the hedge. Kaoru looked around and froze when her eyes rested on the sprawling mansion directly in front of them. She whipped her head first left then right, checking if anyone had seen them. The prisoner started to move forward, but she caught his arm.

"No wait! Wait, there's a mistake! You can't go in there!"

"Why not?" He answered and kept walking, dragging her along. Kaoru dug her heels into the ground and tried to dig her nails into his arm.

"Because that is the house of the district Dan! If you in there, you'll get caught for sure and I will be arrested for aiding an enemy!"

"It's a bit too late for that. You'll be arrested no matter which house I choose to enter now. And if this is the house of the Dan, then all the better, he'll be easier to handle."

"What do you mean, easier to handle?"

"I have a lot of experience with the shogun's vassals. They tend to wet themselves in the face of danger."

"That's a despicable thing to say. It's a lie!"

"Despicable or not, it's what happens. Don't fret, you'll see for yourself."

"He's an official. He's going to kill you and put me to work on the garrison fields again, or worse, put me in jail."

The prisoner merely rolled his eyes. Kaoru kicked, aiming for his shin. The prisoner winced as her foot connected but he kept moving. Kaoru shoved against him, throwing all her weight at him. The prisoner spun around facing her. He dug his fingers into her wrists. Kaoru screamed with pain. Her raw and swollen wrists began to bleed as his fingers rubbed off the thin blood clots that had slowly formed on them.

"Don't try to fight me. You'll lose." He whispered into her ear. Grabbing her elbow, he forced her to march to the gate, up the winding path that led to the house and didn't stop until they were at the door.

Kaoru jerked her hand away roughly. The prisoner looked at her disinterestedly and banged on the door. There was a small bronze bell hanging on the porch. He tapped it with his wakizashi, sending it ringing clearly.

"You're mad. You're an animal, a monster!"

He turned. She could see his amethyst eyes gleam behind his filthy hair. He smiled. "Perhaps. But I think I'm right."

"They're going to catch you and throw you in prison or behead you in the village square."

"Would that please you?"

"Yes! It will please me very much. Very much!"

"You're going to be disappointed." He nonchalantly sat down on the porch, waiting for someone to appear from inside the house. He glanced at her. A slow smile curled his lips as he watched her seething. He sighed dramatically.

"Strange isn't it? There is an attack on the garrison by the rebels, a prisoner escapes and the chief official of the village sends all his guards away. He has no concern for the safety of his own family, but his heart bleeds for the peasants and so he dispatches all his men to their aid. How noble."

Kaoru stepped away from him. Her eyes grew wide in horror. "No…it can't be, not Yukishiro-sama….he wouldn't. His son is fighting the rebels!"

The prisoner watched as her face convulsed. He bent his head. "Everyone has a price."

The door creaked open. The prisoner leapt up and stood straight. His hand rested on the hilt of his katana, a gesture not lost on the man standing at the door.

He peered at the prisoner suspiciously. "Why are you here?"

"I was told I would get help here."

"Are you the prisoner?" The man seemed to shrink behind the door. It was as though he wanted to turn and run but some unseen force outside him was holding him to the door.

The prisoner merely jerked his head. His eyes were revealed. Kaoru watched the man's eyes grow as wide as saucers. His hand fell beside him. He took a step back hesitantly, then bowed and held the door open. The prisoner smirked. He turned and took her arm, pulling her into the house.

The servant glared at her with open hostility and disgust. "What is she doing here?" His voice quivered with indignation.

The prisoner gave him a withering look. "Tell your master to get down here. I don't have all night."

The servant drew himself to his full height. "My master will take his time. You can't give me orders!"

The prisoner turned to look at him. The servant backed away. Losing interest, the prisoner stretched his arms and sat down cross-legged on the floor. He pulled his katana out of his belt and set it down on floor beside him. Kaoru stood uncertainly, aware of the black looks the servant cast her way as he made his exit. She tugged at the rope. The prisoner looked up at her. He glanced at her hands. He beckoned her to come close. Kaoru held her hands out to him. The prisoner slid the wakizashi between her wrists and cut the ropes.

A step creaked. He pivoted and stood. The master of the house stood at a door across the room. He was dressed in the rich silk that was the emblem of the aristocracy. His proud face betrayed no emotion and his hair was held securely by a topknot on his head. The pride of generations of pure breeding and high birth reflected upon his face like the light of fading sun. He strode forward.

Kaoru felt her eyes blur as angry tears streaked her eyes. This house and its owner, the proud defender and representative of the Shogunate was actually a mole, working for the rebels. Tears spilled over onto her cheeks. She wiped them away viciously. It was such a farce! This man was mocking the lives of all those men who were fighting for their way of life. He disrespected the memory of all those who had fallen in the war and for what? So he could amass another fortune. His own son's life held no value for him.

"How could you?" She whispered. She stared at the floor. The prisoner turned to look at her questioningly. But she wasn't looking at him. She was glaring at the man who was striding closer towards them.

"Enishi is fighting in the war. He hasn't been home in a year. How could you disrespect his sacrifice so cheaply? You're shamelessly helping the people he's fighting! Don't you have any shame?"

The man smirked. "Don't pretend to know about things you will never understand. What does a peasant know about war and politics?"

Kaoru sniffed. She stood straight. "I may be a peasant, but I would never sell Enishi out like this! You're helping the men he has gone to fight!"

"And you accompany the Patriots' best assassin like a chattel. Be silent. You are nothing, don't forget that." He turned to the prisoner.

"I trust you didn't have much trouble finding the house?"

The prisoner shook his head. "I was given good instructions."

"And this girl?" He pointed a long manicured finger towards Kaoru.

The prisoner smirked. "I'm taking her as compensation." He grinned. The nobleman wrinkled his nose as though he was disgusted.

"Alright then, here are the things you will need. Papers to show at the border, you will need to memorise the details. I'm enclosing a ring; the guards will recognise you as one of the shogun's men. I have already sent news of your arrival at the check post. You ought to have no problems."

The prisoner silently perused the documents. He slipped the ring onto a finger. The nobleman watched him closely, but the prisoner betrayed no emotions. His face was like a mask, empty.

The nobleman cleared his throat. "Is there anything else?"

The prisoner nodded. "I need clothes, food and a small knife. And some soap and water"

The man nodded. "I'll see what I can arrange." As he turned to go, the prisoner called out to him again.

"Something for the girl to wear as well."

The man gave a stiff nod and disappeared into the dark house. The prisoner folded the papers and thrust them deep inside his sleeve. He sank against a silk screen and rested his elbows on his knees. Kaoru stood rooted to her spot. Her fists were clenched and her eyes were red. She had willed herself to stop crying but the turmoil in her heart was far from over. Such betrayal was inconceivable. Enishi would be shattered if he knew. Despite herself, Kaoru smiled at the memory of the man she loved. Enishi was brave and noble, but most importantly, he was fearless. That was why he had left to fight at the frontline even though he could have stayed home on the pretence of defending the district, like so many other young noblemen had done. But he wasn't a coward like them. He was truthful. He wasn't afraid to risk everything for the sake of his country. He was a hero.

A loud yawn echoed in the room and she broke out of her reverie. The prisoner sat rubbing his eyes.

"Contemplating much?"

"What would you know?" She replied patronizingly.

"More than you'd give me credit for. What're you thinking about?"

"I can't believe Enishi's father would do this! How can he betray us like this? And he feels no shame at all!"

"He's trying to do the best he can, given the circumstances."

"He sold us out!"

"I think you're more upset by the fact that he is this Enishi's father than anything else."

"Well of course! How could he even think of doing something so cowardly, so abominable?"

The prisoner regarded her carefully. He smiled. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't patronise me! I understand perfectly well. And what do you care, he's your mole! You would defend him, wouldn't you?"

"You've never been in a war. You don't know what its like, to kill a man or to watch your comrades die slow deaths right in front of you. Courage becomes different when you're an inch away from death."

"Yes but he is not an inch away from death! He has no excuse!"

"He is trying to secure the future of his children. If the Ishin Shishi win, his children will still retain a place in the new world. He chose life over death. He needs no excuse for that."

Kaoru threw her arms up in frustration. The servant who had let them in appeared once more. He held a towel, a brush and a bar of soap in his hands. He placed them at a careful distance from the prisoner and withdrew. Moments later, he returned, carrying a medium-sized wooden tub. He filled it halfway with warm water and beat a hasty retreat. The prisoner stood and began to pull his gi off.

Kaoru sat down and turned away. She could hear the faint splash of the water as he lowered himself into the tub. The prisoner moaned. He had almost forgotten what clean, warm water felt like. He went lower into the water, till it lapped at his chin. The warm water soothed his tired muscles. He lay still, watching the shadows play across the ceiling. He blinked and heaved himself up. Water spilled over the tub, making a puddle on the wooden floor. He grabbed the brush from the floor and began to scrub the dirt off his body.

Kaoru sat still, with her eyes glued to the wall. The prisoner was making a lot of noise. She could hear the rough scrubbing of the brush. She waited. For someone who kept barking about the lack of time, he was taking forever.

"Aren't you finished yet?" She asked testily. The prisoner raised his head.

"No."

"Hurry up!"

He smiled mischievously. "I might need some help."

Kaoru froze. "What?"

"Come here. You'll have to wash my back, I can't reach."

"You can't ask me to do something like that!"

"Who else do I ask?"

"I'll call the servant."

"I don't trust him."

"Do you trust me? That would be a mistake."

"I'm willing to take a gamble on you. Come here."

"No."

The prisoner sighed. "I need you to cut my hair as well. It keeps falling into my eyes." Kaoru didn't move. "I won't tie you up again. Does that help?"

"No."

He stood. She could tell by the noise the water made as it dripped of his body. She cringed. "Here, if I hold the towel like this, you can't see anything."

Kaoru turned very slowly. The prisoner was sitting in the tub. He held a towel up and plunged it under the water. His chest was bare. She swallowed. He was…perfect. She had worked at the hospital long enough to get over any embarrassment at seeing a man's naked chest. Besides, he was built beautifully. He had a lean, slender frame packed with muscles. She stood. As she approached, he picked up another towel from the floor and placed it across the tub.

Smiling mischievously at her, he said, "Here, this should help as well."

She frowned at him. She pulled a stool close and sat down. She looked around and spotted a small knife sitting amongst the brush and soap. Clasping the hilt tightly, she grabbed a clump of the hair that hung over his eyes. The prisoner jumped. He was surprised by her nonchalance.

"How short do you want it?"

"Just cover my forehead, and if you leave a few strands longer than that, it's alright. Do your best."

Kaoru nodded and set to work. She snipped the longer sections of his hair which made it difficult for him to see properly. As she cut, she studied his face with care. He had very fine features. The skin was taut and without blemishes, save for a scar on his left cheek, but strangely it only seemed to add to his looks. He kept his eyes lowered while she cut which was disappointing since she wanted to see his purple hued eyes again. His eyelashes were long and black. She squirmed slightly. He really had no right to be so attractive. In all honesty, she had never seen a knife and bar of soap do so much for a man.

"I'm done." She stood quickly, wiped her hands on a towel and stepped away from the tub.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" He asked in a quiet voice. She turned. He held the brush up and pointed to his back. She groaned.

"I don't want to trouble you but it's necessary. I can't walk around smelling like a prison cell."

She strode back to the tub and snatched the brush from his hand. Pushing his head forward, she began to scrub his back with a vengeance. The prisoner fidgeted but she soon put an end to that by scrubbing even more vigorously.

"I would like to keep my skin, if you don't mind."

"Oh I don't mind, not in the least. We don't want you smelling bad right?"

The prisoner sighed and resigned himself. Kaoru kept scrubbing back and forth. He pursed his lips and winced every now and then, when the brush would scrape over his reddened skin.

"Okay I think you're finished. You can stop now."

"Oh no. Not yet, you're quite filthy I assure you."

"No, I think it's alright. I can manage." He waited for her to stop but when she didn't, he decided to take matters into his own hands.

"You're done." The prisoner replied brusquely and began to stand. Kaoru yelped. She dropped the brush, fled to the opposite wall and turned her back to the prisoner. She could hear him chuckling softly. It was a very pleasant sound. He wrapped the dry towel around his waist and gingerly ran his fingers across his back. His skin stung a little but at least he was clean. He breathed a huge sigh of relief.

The door slid open and the master of the house stepped in. He had a pile of clothes in his arms, which he dropped unceremoniously at the prisoner's feet. The prisoner knelt and picked up a few articles of clothing. He dressed quickly, and turned to the pile again. There were two plain yet elegant kimonos sitting at the bottom of the pile, dyed blue and dark green. He picked them up and smiled. They would complement the girl's eyes.

"Thank you. These will do very well."

The nobleman gave scornful laugh. "They belonged to my late wife, but I don't think she'd grudge them to someone in need. Even if it is the whore of an Ishin Shishi assassin."

Kaoru gasped. She felt hot tears welling up in her eyes. Her entire being protested against the injustice of it all. The callous slander hurt her more than the bruises on her wrists.

The prisoner remained silent. But his eyes burned a permanent fear into the nobleman's mind. He backed away slowly. The prisoner packed the food into a small cloth bag and handed it to Kaoru. He sheathed the knife and tucked it into his sash. He clasped her hand firmly and walked out the door. The pair quickly made their way out of the house. Kaoru was silent.

The rain had stopped. They spotted a dozen bright lights at the crown of the hill they had descended to reach the Yukishiro mansion. It was probably the guards, returning from the village. They held torches in their hands and were swiftly making their descent. The prisoner turned away from the road and began to march confidently in the opposite direction.

Kaoru tugged at his sleeve. "Please listen. I don't want to go with you. Just let me be. Let me go home."

He ignored her pleas.

"This is my entire world. Don't take me away from it. I can't leave. I made a promise….to someone. I have to stay. Please, I beg you. Let me go!"

He stopped. Kaoru felt a glimmer of hope. The prisoner faced her.

"There is nothing left for you here. You heard him. Before daybreak tomorrow, he is going to spread the word that you ran away with an Ishin Shishi assassin and became his mistress."

Kaoru shook her head. "They won't believe it."

The prisoner sighed. "Do you really believe that?"

"It's a lie."

"How many of them do you think, will care whether it's a lie or not?"

"They won't believe it. I know they won't." Her voice began to crack as the tears threatened to spill over.

"It doesn't matter. I don't want to let you go."

Kaoru snapped her head up and stared at him. "Why would you say something like that?"

He tilted his head to the side, watching her eyes. "I want you to stay with me. I need you to leave this district."

"I don't know the way! I've never been outside the village! I am no help, okay?"

He laughed softly. Placing his hands on her cheeks, he tilted her face up. "I don't need a map, just a companion."

"I won't go!"

"You know how that argument ends. I don't think your arm is up to getting twisted again."

Kaoru bit her lip silently. The walls were slowly closing around her. She looked back at the village, the place where she had lived her entire life. The only place she knew in the whole world. It suddenly seemed so small, and the road she stood upon so vast. She turned away from it and looked at the prisoner uncertainly.

He sighed. "I need you to come with me. They're looking for a prisoner travelling alone. If you come with me, I will be less easy to catch. And besides, right now, if you go back home, your father will kill you. But if you come back later, you can say that I kidnapped you, which I did, and everything will go back to normal. Even if your father doesn't believe you, which he won't, consider the way he found us, but your friends in the village will stand by you." He spoke softly, trying to persuade her in any way possible. Kaoru nibbled on her lip, thinking carefully. He smirked. He had won.

"Where are we going?"

The prisoner smiled. "Kyoto."

**Author's Notes**

**Sorry for the long delay. I hope everyone liked the chapter. If not….feel free to flame me. Meh, I'm so generous!**

**Okay, Hotshots! Pop quiz!!**

**When Kaoru asks Kenshin if he has a price, he replies in the affirmative, what do you think he meant by that?**

**Correct answers get ...hmmmm let's see...Okay, if you get the answer right, I will write a fic with your preferred pairing in whichever genre you want, ok?**

**Sound good?**


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary**: When a captured assassin escapes, he takes a hostage along as insurance. Now she has to lead him to safety or he will kill her. Will she be able to ever return? AU. BKK. "She was the girl he had watched from across the fence, he would know her anywhere."

**Disclaimer**: Kenshin doesn't belong to me. He and all the characters of Rurouni Kenshin were created by the fabulous Watsuki Nobuhiro.

**Rating**: M

Thanks to all the people who have reviewed, or put this story in their favorites, I'm so glad that this story has generated such tremendous interest. Your response has been overwhelmingly kind and I want to thank each and everyone of you. It's been a while since I last updated. I hope it will make up for the wait. Let me know what you think of it.

Since this is an AU fic, I have taken a few liberties with history in this chapter. There is a railroad running through the country. Now I confess I do not know whether railroads had been set up in Japan before the Meiji Era but in this story railroads have been around for some years so please don't be alarmed if you come across a scene at a railway station in this chapter.

Also, Yahiko is in his late teens in this fic.

The suspension of disbelief can work wonders…..trust me.

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**The Dance of the Firefly**

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**Chapter 5: The Journey Forward**

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**Recap**

Kaoru bit her lip silently. The walls were slowly closing around her. She looked back at the village, the place where she had lived her entire life. The only place she knew in the whole world. It suddenly seemed so small, and the road she stood upon so vast. She turned away from it and looked at the prisoner uncertainly.

He sighed. "I need you to come with me. They're looking for a prisoner travelling alone. If you come with me, I will be less easy to catch. And besides, right now, if you go back home, your father will kill you. But if you come back later, you can say that I kidnapped you, which I did, and everything will go back to normal. Even if your father doesn't believe you, which he won't, consider the way he found us, but your friends in the village will stand by you." He spoke softly, trying to persuade her in any way possible. Kaoru nibbled on her lip, thinking carefully. He smirked. He had won.

"Where are we going?"

The prisoner smiled. "Kyoto."

**End of Recap**

Kaoru fought the languid voice in her head that asked her to close her eyes and go back to sleep. The ground was moving! She swallowed and felt her rough tongue scrape against the roof of her mouth. It was so dry that it felt scratchy. The heaviness of her eyelids forced her to shut her eyes at least three times before she finally managed to open them. She looked up. The sky was light, it was past an hour or so after dawn. She looked about and was not surprised to find that the ominous cloud cover had not left with the torrential winds that accompanied the storm the previous night. Even the morning sun seemed subdued and damp, its rays struggling to break through the thick rain clouds on the horizon.

She blinked and rubbed her eyes with her fingers. It was time to wake up. She straightened and looked about in puzzlement. She was hoisted up on the back of the prisoner who walked along silently as though it was the most normal thing in the world for him. His katana and wakizashi were secured to his hip, the small bag that held a meagre portion of food and a kimono for her hung around his neck and he walked steadily despite her weight.

They had left the village behind and from what she recognized of the fields and meadows around them, they were headed towards the railroad station. The rainwater had all but disappeared, as they were now on higher ground. She squirmed. The prisoner turned his head slightly towards her.

"You've finally decided to wake up. I was beginning to fear that I'd have to carry you all the way." Having said that, he unceremoniously dropped her on the ground. Her knees buckled and she fell in a heap on the ground. The prisoner swung his shoulder back and forth and kept walking.

Kaoru glared at his back. She stood unsteadily and rubbed her knee, pressing it gingerly to check for any further damage. Tossing her head slightly, she swore softly under the breath and cursed the prisoner for dragging her about like this.

"Hey! Hey, listen to me!" She yelled behind him. He stopped, turned and looked at her with a bemused expression in his eyes.

"What is it?"

"You could have warned me that you were going to do that."

His raised an eyebrow. "You're right, I could have." He replied.

Kaoru shook her head in disbelief, "Well, can you at least apologise? I would appreciate being considered something more than a sack of potatoes."

"Now that's an interesting issue you've addressed, see, in times of famine and general scarcity, a sack of potatoes would be considered infinitely more precious than a girl, even one as beautiful as you. So if you feel that you've been treated like a sack of potatoes, you should really take it as a compliment."

"A compliment? Are you insane….and wait a minute! Did you just say I was beautiful?"

"Yes", he replied quietly. "Is there a problem with that?"

Kaoru looked away. "No…no problem, I mean….thank you, but you shouldn't say things like that. It's not appropriate." she hurried past him. The prisoner was amused.

"Oh?" He quickened his stride to fall in place with her. "And why isn't it appropriate?"

"It just isn't, and besides we are not familiar. I am just accompanying you till I figure out a way to fix the mess you made of my life."

She stopped short as the prisoner caught her wrist and pulled her back. She winced and frowned at him, "What?"

Kenshin was about to tell her that she should learn to accept compliments and accept the fact that men were going to become a nuisance in the not-so-distant future. The Ishin Shishi headquarters were notorious for being dry havens run by revolutionary zeal. There was scarce a woman in sight, let alone an exquisite one like her. It was going to be a challenge keeping her out of trouble and keeping every female-crazy recruit out of her way, but he'd do it…somehow.

Something in the way she had changed the subject when he told her she was beautiful told him she hadn't heard those words nearly as enough as it was necessary. Well, he wasn't very surprised. With the kind of man her father was, he doubted any of the village boys would risk wooing her. Idiots. But it wasn't right. For a girl as courageous and kind as her to have the kind of self esteem issues she did was astonishing.

How could she be surprised at her own attractiveness? She was very beautiful, with the kind of face that stood out in a crowd. She moved carefully and with natural grace, her voice was husky and didn't shrill, her eyes sparkled like jewels, she was kind and helpful and possessed a rare courage to stand up for what was right despite being called names and being abused for it and yet she didn't think she was beautiful. Women are funny creatures.

But, he didn't tell her any of this.

He just watched her face for a few minutes before brushing his thumb against her cheek. "You have dirt on your face."

"Huh?"

"Clean up a little," he pulled a clean handkerchief from his sleeve and dipped it into one of the many stone basins placed along the field paths by villagers to collect water. He wrung the handkerchief and held it to her face, swiftly wiping away all traces of dirt, grime, sweat and tears. Kaoru watched him silently as he turned her face this way and that. As he wiped the cloth over her dry lips, she let her eyes drop.

It was a perfectly innocent act yet he made it seem so intimate and swollen with meaning. Or maybe it was just her. Maybe it was her who was reading to much into his gestures, his words and his looks. She was simply being ultra sensitive to the situation. He just wanted her to clean her face up because he didn't want to drag a ragamuffin to the railroad. It would draw to much attention to them. He was striking enough already without her adding to the strange picture they made. And the only reason why he was cleaning her face himself was because he didn't trust her to do a decent enough job.

She should actually be feeling annoyed with him instead of getting tongue-tied.

He surveyed her carefully after finishing. Satisfied, he smiled at her and stuffed the handkerchief down his sleeve again.

She raised an eyebrow. "Do I look decent enough to be in your exalted company my lord?"

"Yes, now you do." He grinned. Kaoru glared at him. Biting back a scathing reply, she shook her head. Her hair came undone. It was wet at the scalp and dry at the ends. Stringy strands of her hair stuck to her fingers as she tore them quickly through to make a ponytail. When she was finished, she looked at the prisoner, who'd taken the bag of food and slung it over his shoulder.

"I'm ready now."

The prisoner nodded and they set off towards the station at a brisk pace. The railroad would be heavily guarded and news of the prisoner's break from the garrison would have reached by now but if they were careful they could easily make it to one of the trains bound for Kyoto.

Despite the heavy offensive launched by the revolutionaries, the shogun had seen fit to keep the train running. The trains were a symbol of the power and reach of the Shogun. Discontinuing trains to Kyoto would tantamount to accepting that the city was all but taken by the revolutionaries. Something that the shogun would never bear. Ando so, even though the uninterrupted run of the trains in and out of Kyoto gave the revolutionaries just as much an advantage of mobility through the country as it gave the shogun armies, the Shogun were loath to do anything about it.

As they drew near the entrance to the station, the prisoner suddenly turned to her and asked, "What is your name?"

Kaoru suppressed an urge to laugh. It wasn't that surprising really. They'd only met yesterday. It had rained all through the night, dawn was breaking when they left Enishi's house and now it was mid morning. This time yesterday, she had been bending over a garrison field, weeding. And today, she was on the run with an enemy soldier, a man who didn't even know her name.

"It's Kaoru."

"Kaoru?"

"Yes."

The prisoner nodded slowly. "It suits you."

"What….what is your name?"

"Himura Kenshin. Now, what are we to tell that guard at the station?"

"You could tell them that I am your sister and you're taking me to Kyoto to stay with you because you're worried about me staying here alone."

Kenshin looked at her appreciatively. "That's fantastic, except for the sister part. I never would have thought you could be so wily."

"I'm learning fast." Despite her annoyance with him just a minute ago, Kaoru smiled back at him happily. He seemed taken aback for a minute but responded with a small smile of his own.

"Good."

Kaoru realized with a shock that this was the first time in months that she' d smiled so easily and so happily. She was happy….after so long. The last time she'd been happy was when Enishi had been with her…but that was almost a year ago. A year was a long time for someone to find a reason to smile again. She glanced at the prisoner. Perhaps, this wasn't so bad. Leaving the village, leaving everything she knew was frightening but also fraught with new possibilities. She was finally going to see the world beyond the hills that ringed the village.

She was going further than she'd ever imagined possible. A whole new world existed beyond these fields and these hills. A world where men were fighting each other for ideas they believed in, a world where heroism, adventure and danger walked hand in hand. It was a world Kenshin knew so well but a world she knew nothing about.

How would she respond to the hundreds of new experiences, sights and feelings that were going to be a part of it? She didn't know yet. But one thing was certain. She would not be a victim in this journey. She may have been taken by force and against her will but she was determined to squeeze every ounce of adventure from this journey. Because once she returned to the village, she would never get another chance to leave.

And although she loved the village, she knew that the outside world was also worth taking a chance for. Kenshin was waiting for her at the gate.

They entered the station and attached themselves to a large group of farmers with lots of baggage. The farmers in the group ranged from the obviously affluent to the not-so-well off. Some carried large bundles on their heads while others were trying to pacify their horses. Two persons in such a large group would pass through unnoticed. As the checking guard drew near, Kaoru and Kenshin bent their heads and started to ferry the stray sheep away from the tracks and back towards the group.

"Stay close," he whispered to her. Kaoru nodded in agreement. They continued to walk alongside the sheep till they were cleared and allowed onto the platform. Kenshin immediately clasped her elbow and led her away from the group. His pace made it hard for her to keep up. She yanked at his sleeve.

"Kenshin, stop walking so fast," she muttered into his ear. He turned to look at her.

Kaoru took a deep breath. "Look, stop acting like you're expecting to be caught and try and walk at decent pace, so I don't look like I'm having to run to keep up with you."

Kenshin smirked. "Are you giving me advice?"

"Well, you can choose not to take it, but that would be stupid. Your choice."

"Don't get me wrong. But you're the same girl who wanted to hand me over to the garrison soldiers last night. And today, you're telling me how to seem less inconspicuous. I'm a little confused."

Kaoru squirmed under the force of his stare. "Well, things are different today."

"How different?"

"I've decided….not to apologise for my life anymore. I was meant to be in this world, I mean….I was important enough for my mother to give birth to me even though my father hated me. All my life….all I've wished for is death. But….I don't want to die anymore. What I mean is, not like this, not without having lived even for a single day. I'm ready to face my life and live it. I don't just want to go through the motions of living. I want to do something worthwhile, even if it is for a day."

"Getting me back to Kyoto - is that your worthwhile act? I thought you had your loyalties clearly marked."

"I still do. You are still an enemy but….I owe you."

"What are you talking about? You owe me nothing."

"This is the first time I've come to the railroad station."

"Now you're scaring me. When I dropped you, are you sure you didn't hurt your head?"

Kaoru smiled, "No."

"You must have. You've just forgotten all about it."

Kaoru couldn't help it. She covered her mouth with her fingers and laughed. Kenshin's eyebrows shot up and he cautiously looked around to make sure nobody else could hear them. He tried to frown disapprovingly but watching her laugh melted the cautious, suspicious voice in his head that told him he should stop her.

As she laughed, slowly her eyes gave into tears. Kaoru sniffled between sobs and laughter. She patted her sleeves, looking for something to dry her eyes with and settled for wiping her tears with her fingers when she found nothing. She sniffled again.

"If you're finished with the water works, maybe we can board the train," Kenshin remarked dryly. He rolled his eyes in his head. Women and tears. Sure fire recipe for disaster.

Kaoru nodded. Kenshin shook his head slightly and then took her elbow again. He whispered, "Okay, your friend the district Dan gave me documents identifying me as a soldier, so we can travel free. The only thing to do is look confident."

"Okay."

"And…uh…Kaoru," he looked a little uneasy, "I may have to imply certain things….." he clamped his mouth shut. "You know what, I'll just tell them you're my sister, much as I hate to. The other alternative just won't work."

"The other alternative?"

"Yeah, because try as you might, there's not a snowball's chance in hell that you'll ever look vulgar enough to pass for the alternative."

Kaoru blushed as the "alternative" became clear to her. She frowned at him. "I would have never put you down as melodramatic, but now I'm having doubts."

Kenshin's only response was to shrug. They moved on and as they approached the train, Kaoru became aware of someone yelling her name. She tried to turn around but Kenshin was having none of that. He yanked her elbow roughly and kept her close to him. The incessant calling grew louder as the person calling her got closer. Kaoru once again tried to turn. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a young boy dressed in the regulation navy blue gi and hakama of the district Home Guard. His hair spiked out in all directions and he ran towards her at full speed, hollering her name.

Kaoru groaned inwardly. There could not be a worse time for Yahiko Myojin to make an appearance. She had known Yahiko her entire life, and if he wanted to speak to her then there was no way he was letting her get away without having a word.

She pulled Kenshin's arm. "Kenshin, stop. I know him."

"All the more reason to lose him." Kenshin snapped back.

"Kaoru!" Yahiko called out.

"Please Kenshin, he won't stop till he speaks to me."

"KAORU!!!" Yelling now, Yahiko ran ahead as fast as he could. People stared and jumped out of his way as he approached.

"Damn it! Fine. Two minutes. Get rid of him." Kenshin looked around cautiously. The guard at the gate had become interested in what was going on and had left his post, choosing to saunter towards the source of al the noise. Kenshin swore under his breath.

Kaoru turned and smiled softly at the young boy. Yahiko stopped short in front of her, panting as he tried to catch his breath.

"Where are you going Kaoru? I've been calling you for so long. Why didn't you stop? I had to run all the way away from my post." He bent over, still trying to regain his composure.

"Your post? Are you on duty here Yahiko?"

Yahiko snorted. "Well of course. That's why I'm here. I wanted to be at the garrison but they didn't have enough men here so I agreed to lend them a hand." Kaoru smiled. Yahiko's sense of self importance hadn't changed a bit. "Haven't seen you in ages. Where are you going?"

"Well, I …..uh…."

"Oh. Are you going to Tae's village?"

Kaoru nodded vigorously. "Yes."

His face fell. "Oh, but," he looked at the train, "this train is bound for Kyoto, didn't you say Tae's village was in the mountains?"

Kaoru struggled to find words. "Well, it's near Kyoto."

"Oh okay. Well, I'll need to see some papers." He looked sheepish. "I mean, I know its you Kaoru and you're the last person to cause any sort of trouble but, well, rules are rules. So, do you have your papers?"

Kenshin thrust the documents in her hand. Kaoru gave them to Yahiko, who looked at Kenshin suspiciously.

"Err….Kaoru," He grabbed her hand and dragged her a few paces away, looking suspiciously at Kenshin, he poked her in the ribs, "who's that guy?"

Kaoru stole a glance towards Kenshin, who glowered at her, and tossed his head imperiously.

"He….he's from Tae's village. They sent him to come get me because I can't travel by myself." She wondered if Yahiko would fall for something so loosely fabricated.

Yahiko looked at Kenshin once more, eyeing his swords with grudging admiration and envy. "Is he an officer? He sure looks like it. And look at those swords, never seen anything like them."

Kaoru glanced back at Kenshin. "Something like that. But, you must have seen swords like that before Yahiko, don't the officers in our district Guard have something similar."

Yahiko laughed. "No way. Not swords like that. Those swords look handcrafted specifically for this guy. He wears them like a second skin, I've never seen a man so comfortable with his swords."

They were both silent as Yahiko looked at the documents carefully. She stole a look at Kenshin who was tapping his foot on the ground impatiently. Yahiko finally finished.

"Well, this all seems in order." He was about to give the papers back when another boy joined him. He was wearing the same uniform and looked about as old as Yahiko. He fervently whispered something in his ear and jerked his arm to a point behind Kaoru.

Kaoru watched with amusement as Yahiko's expression changed completely and he eagerly turned around.

"What….here? No way. Really….oh heavens, it really is her….!" Both the boys began to nudge and whisper loudly amongst themselves. Kaoru cleared her throat. Yahiko looked at her distractedly.

"What? Oh yes! Ummm……this is all fine Kaoru. You can go. See you when you come back." Yahiko spoke hurriedly, and kept glancing behind his shoulder, as though he couldn't wait to get away sooner.

"So I'll see you when I come back, Yahiko?" She asked mischievously. Yahiko nodded and began to edge away, the other boy already walking away. Kenshin was back at her side, trying to steer her away from the conversation.

"Yeah Kaoru…sure…" Yahiko looked like he was ready to run.

"Be sure to come see me next time." Kaoru couldn't resist keeping the teen engaged in conversation even as he tried to get away from her and Kenshin almost tore her arm off with his pull.

Yahiko nodded quickly. "Yeah , yeah sure Kaoru…"

"I'll make you some nice soba."

Yahiko looked at her almost pleadingly. "Yeah Kaoru…listen, I really need to go right now." He rushed away from her and joined his friend who was talking to a woman who had just entered the platform. She was dressed in a loose kimono, whose folds did absolutely nothing to cover her properly. Her face was heavily made up, her shoulders were bare, and her swell of her breasts was visible too. She held her sandals in her hand and rolled her hips suggestively as she walked.

Kaoru felt her jaw drop at the sight, but even more surprising was the way Yahiko and his friend fawned over the woman and hung upon her every word. She couldn't see what attracted them so to her. She had no decency, and she wasn't even beautiful, not by any stretch of the imagination.

Kenshin pulled at her elbow again. She turned to him.

He stared at her pensively, then followed the direction of her gaze to where the prostitute was laughing loudly at something the boys said. He looked back at her and smirked.

"What?" She asked belligerently.

He shook his head slightly and stepped up to her. Placing his hands around her waist, he lifted her into the railcar in a fluid movement. Kaoru was too taken aback to say anything. He swung himself into the railcar after her and ushered her to a seat next to a window. He sat opposite her.

"What were you trying to do, Kaoru? Keep your young friend away from the whore?" he smirked.

"I wasn't….well even if I was, I wasn't very successful, was I? It's disgusting." She replied with spirit.

"What is? The whore or the fact that the boy was running after her?"

Kaoru looked at him. "What is it that you men find so fascinating about women like that? I could see it in the eyes of every man on the platform, even Yahiko. Everyone wanted to be with her. I just don't understand why."

Kenshin hid a smile. How could he explain the fascination of a whore to a young girl like her? There was nothing more restful in the world than a whore. A man could be himself with a whore, he could say anything he wanted and he wouldn't be badgered about it in the morning. There was no pressure about being heroic, or even brave in front of a whore. You could tell her your fears and know that she'd forget them before the night was out.

Kaoru watched him carefully. "What are you thinking of?"

"Nothing. How is your leg?"

Kaoru looked down at her shin. She hadn't thought about it since she'd woken up. It was healing. Blood had clotted over and it would fine soon.

"It's alright now. I hadn't even noticed it."

"Good." He leaned forward and beckoned to her. "Come here."

"Huh?"

"I need to sleep."

Kaoru blinked. Of course. He hadn't slept a wink last night. After his escape, he broke into her house, created a mess, then dragged her off with him to the Dan's house and then…carried her all night. He must be exhausted even though it didn't show.

"Oh, ummm…yes, of course." She sat straight with her hands neatly folded in her lap. Kenshin looked around the rail car. The war with the rebels meant that troops were being ferried about all the time, and they tended to leave things behind when things became too heated. There was a bedroll someone had forgotten underneath one of the seats in the opposite corner of the car. Kenshin pulled it out and dumped it at her feet. He dusted it off a bit and sat down on it. And then, without a word of warning, he leaned against Kaoru's legs and rested his head in her lap.

Kaoru jumped. "What…what are you doing? Stop it!" She scrambled up.

Kenshin glared at her. "I need to sleep and make sure you don't run away while I doze off."

"I am not about to run away. I promised to accompany you till Kyoto."

"Yes, but with all these soldiers about, I can't trust you not to get ideas about running away to try your luck at getting back home."

"I'm not about to hold your head in my lap just for that."

They both glared at each other. The silence stretched uncomfortably. Suddenly the door clattered and the boy who had been with Yahiko earlier burst through the doors with the platform prostitute on his arm. They didn't notice Kaoru and Kenshin sitting in the corner. The woman giggled incessantly and began to loosen her clothes. Kaoru gasped and looked away.

"Kenshin," she breathed, "make them go away."

Kenshin looked unruffled. He stared coolly at the heated pair who were swiftly becoming a tangled mass of arms and legs.

Kaoru bit her lip. "Kenshin! Make them stop or tell them to go somewhere else. Please, I can't…..just make them stop."

"Are you going to behave?"

She snapped her head back at him. "I can't _believe _you'd use this to…..fine! Just get rid of them!"

Kenshin smirked unrepentently. He stood and loudly tapped the seat with the hilt of his wakizashi. The quivering mass of flesh that was the woman and her client froze. The boy's head emerged from behind her chest. His eyes froze the sight of Kenshin. He didn't wait to question anything, but just stammered an apology and led the woman away.

Kenshin turned back to Kaoru. "Now, will you please let me rest?"

Kaoru looked sullen but nodded. He sat down on the bedroll once more and rested his head on her knees. Kaoru fidgeted slightly and froze when his arm curled around her legs, holding them in place. He felt warm and before she knew it, he was asleep. She looked out the window. The activity and bustle that had greeted their arrival was dying away. There were only a few people left on the platform. She doubted anyone else would board this rail car; it was the last one on the train and had a deserted and desolate look; windows were smashed, the floor was strewn with debris. It looked less like a rail car and more like a battlefield.

The blast of a whistle jerked her senses. A train pulled into the track adjacent. A crowd appeared out of nowhere. People were handing down luggage, greeting each other or talking to the guard. Two of the guards were jotting something down on a paper. They conferred amongst themselves. After much nodding and head shaking, they turned towards station house, where the signals and switches that operated the trains were controlled. One of the guards waved and was answered by a green flag furling at the window. It was time to go. Kaoru held her breath in anticipation. She was going to ride on a train! A whistle blew and the train lurched forward. Kenshin's head rolled a bit and he muttered darkly. Unconsciously, she placed her hand on his forehead and patted softly. The muttering ceased instantly.

The train groaned, the wheels slowly began to turn and the engine chugged the train forward slowly. Kaoru watched as the faces of the people outside began to change as the train moved. There was a flash of brilliant blue. Kaoru turned. It was a young girl, perhaps a year younger than herself. Her hair was styled fashionably and decorated with an enamelled wooden comb. Her kimono was an exquisite blue silk, and she looked like a little porcelain doll. She carried an umbrella to shield her face and stepped very prettily onto the platform.

As she held her hand out, a young man appeared at her side, dressed just as handsomely as her. Kaoru frowned. Another man carrying luggage was shielding him from her sight. She craned her neck as the train came closer to the pair. They stepped forward.

Kaoru's breath hitched in her throat. Enishi……It was Enishi, without a doubt. You couldn't mistake Enishi for anyone else. Nobody in the world had that striking white hair, brilliant blue eyes and that studied, confident posture. Enishi. But…..who was that girl?

Kaoru placed her fingers on the bars of the window. The window came directly opposite to Enishi. He suddenly looked up. Their eyes met. Shock and disbelief flooded his face. He stared at her in confusion. The train picked up speed. Kaoru turned, still watching him. He whispered something to the girl and began to run after the train. Kaoru bit her lip and tore her fingers from the window.

"Kaoru? Kaoru!" He called out her name several times. She turned to look at him one more. He seemed distraught but he caught up with the train and looked into the window.

"What are you doing here? Where are you going?"

"Enishi….I….."

"Speak up Kaoru, where are you going?"

"I…." Words failed her. What could she tell him? That her courage and patience had finally broken, that she no longer wanted to live as though she didn't have the right, that she wanted to find out what her purpose was in life, that she was willing helping a known assassin and enemy escape by shielding him with her presence. There was nothing in all her reasons that she could say that would make sense or be acceptable to him.

As the train gained speed, Enishi fell behind. "Kaoru!"

She had left behind all her relations in life, including the only man who had ever loved her.

And she'd done it for a man who called her beautiful in one instant and threatened to kill her in the next.

**Author's Note**

Ahhhh, long time no write. Thank you all for reading. Please review.


	6. Chapter 6

The Dance of the Firefly

Chapter 6

* * *

Enishi stared at the retreating form of the train, watching as it ran further and further away from him. What was Kaoru doing on that train? What on earth had happened while he was gone? He clenched his fists. It must have something to do with her father. He swore under his breath. If that brute had laid a hand on her, he'd kill him. He'd lost count of the times he would find some bruise or wound on her hands and arms, lamenting the tale of her agony. She would always stop him from doing something about it.

"_He's my father Enishi. I won't have you hurt him for anything."_

"_He doesn't deserve the respect you give him. He's an animal Kaoru!"_

"_Please don't say things like that…I know it's hard but I feel that deep down, he's also getting tired of this. I think he's very lonely and he might change."_

"_And pigs will fly." _

Her pained expression at his sarcastic words would make him regret it immediately and he'd quickly say something to make her think of other things but he never had much faith in the old scoundrel. He knew what he was capable of. He frowned. But, he had already arranged for Kaoru to be brought to his family seat if something bad happened. He had told his father about Kaoru and also asked him to keep an eye on things while he was gone…then how did this happen?

He turned slowly and began to walk back towards the entrance to the railroad station where a servant was probably waiting with a carriage. He ignored the press of peasants as they came scurrying forward to hoist themselves into the next train. The whistle blew loudly and the platform was flooded with steam from the engine. Enishi walked as though in a daze, realizing that his father's calm acceptance of a peasant girl as the future bride of his son was a sham, that the comforting words he had spoken to him at his departure were a lie. His father had never intended to do anything for Kaoru. It was just a ploy to get him to quickly leave the village.

His fingers curled into fists and his jaw tightened. He quickly picked up the pace and marched briskly to the gate of the station. Sure enough, the carriage was ready, a servant sat at the head of the carriage, gently flicking the ends of the whip over the backs of the horses, a liveried groom stood on the ground, with his hand on the door of the carriage, ready to swing it open as the young master appeared. He didn't know why…but his blood boiled at the sight. The liveried grooms, the imported carriage, the trappings of a decaying house, the snobbery of privileged blood – he felt like taking a torch and setting fire to it all. His nails dug into his palm and he felt heat coursing through his veins.

"Enishi? What's wrong?" The silvery voice of a young girl cut across his thoughts. He turned, frowning, irritated with the interruption. The girl stared at him for a few moments before giggling. She covered her mouth prettily with her small hand and looked up at him through lowered eyelashes.

"My word, you do look vicious when you're angry. What happened?" Her eyes danced as she took in his countenance. Enishi looked away. This was another problem. His mother had passed away some years ago. In accordance with her final wishes, the family had sent for a spinster maternal aunt to take care of the broken household left behind. Enishi had been sceptical about her arrival. Her presence was intrusive and unwelcome as far as he was concerned. He tried to stay away from her as much as possible but she still managed to intrude into his daily existence and pester him as much as she dared.

Her transparent schemes to make him meet "eligible" daughters of noblemen were enough to make him declare that he would leave the family home for good if she didn't stop. But here we were back to the same old story. Here was a war waging and all she could think about was entertaining the daughters of her friends. And he got saddled with the job of bringing this frivolous creature back home – as though he had nothing better to do! What a waste of time!

"Nothing. Let's go." He was about to climb into the carriage when he noticed the girl staring at him pointedly. He rolled his eyes and sighed. Holding his hand out to her, he helped her into the carriage and followed her inside. As the carriage lurched forward, the girl looked outside and launched into a monologue about the charm of the countryside and village life. Enishi plastered a smile on his face and tuned her out. They had at least half an hour before they reached the mansion of the district dan, his father.

Kaoru….what would he do without her? She meant the world to him. So brave and beautiful – a lesser girl would have collapsed under the weight of sorrow and pain destiny had seen fit to give her but not Kaoru. She always found a reason to smile and a reason to hope. She would tell him that she drew strength from his love but he knew it was the other way around. He didn't have half the courage she did. He drew courage from her, from her faith in him. Kaoru wanted to believe him when he said he would fix everything but he knew she doubted that it would happen. He saw the fear and the doubt in her eyes. The gulf between a nobleman's son and the daughter of a peasant was far too wide to even fathom crossing. Even then…she had told him, even back then….

_He pulled her into his arms and held her face in his hands. "You are going to be my bride one day. Lord it over the rest of the village then." He bent his head to plant small, lingering kisses on her neck. Kaoru wrapped her arms around him tighter and buried her face in his shoulder._

"_Enishi…your family might not want me. I have nothing to give you – no title, no lineage, no fortune, nothing." She mumbled almost as though she didn't want him to hear her._

"_Nothing to give? Are you crazy?" He held her face up. "You have these gorgeous eyes," he dropped a kiss on her eyelid, "funny little ears," he bit the lobes of her ears naughtily, making her laugh. "And you have this laugh…so joyous, so wonderful. There's not another girl in this world that can make me feel as you do. You make giddy Kaoru, make me crazy. I feel…like I'm drunk on opium when you're near me and I know that I have to have you or I'll die."_

_She had looked away. She had said nothing but he saw the fear in her eyes. So he crushed her mouth with his lips, telling her with his lips what she wouldn't believe in words, devouring the sweetness of her mouth, coaxing her to let him in, sweeping the roof of her mouth with his tongue as she surrendered in his arms. He kissed her with a ferocity that frightened her because her hands were suddenly stopping him, her arms blocking his hands, her body twisting away from his, her lips nervously saying 'no'. "Enishi, we can't, it's wrong. Stop please….I'm not ready for this."_

_He stopped. Pulled back. Looked at her. She was scared. His precious Kaoru was scared of him. He didn't blame her…he was a little scared of his loss of control too. When had kissing her become so dangerous? When did he become possessed of the idea of having her, taking her, making her his forever….forever starting now, right now, not a moment later. He bit his lip. Suddenly he was noticing things about her that he was certain he hadn't seen before. The black mole on the left side of her neck, just begging to be kissed. The way she was breathing right now…what would it sound like if her breathing became laboured? The thin band of dark black circling the sapphire of her eyes, the tiny green vein that showed on the translucent skin of her wrist, the curve of her breasts as they strained against her clothes….maybe it was better for him to leave for the frontier now._

_It was dangerous being around Kaoru. He knew he didn't have the strength to stop asking her. He would keep asking, she would refuse…but perhaps, one day, in a moment of weakness, she might acquiesce. And then….he would take her, ready or not, right or wrong…and if that happened…she would never forgive him. He had to stay away from her. He had to leave to fight anyway…he might as well leave a few weeks earlier. _

He shut his eyes as the girl's chatter refused to die down. How was he to know that leaving would make things worse for Kaoru? Maybe she had been so troubled that she had decided to leave the village, and with him gone, maybe that was the only option open to her. He clenched his fingers into a fist. He should have been here. She needed him! Where would he go look for her now?

The carriage stopped. He alighted, helped the young woman down and delivered her into the hands of an elderly maid.

"Please take the young lady to my aunt." Having said so, he turned on his heel and began to walk back towards the gates of the mansion. He didn't notice the warning in the old lady's face, as she nervously cast a glance backwards where the lord of the mansion had appeared to receive his son. He didn't notice his father standing on the porch, looking down at him with stormy eyes.

"What task is so important that draws you away from the side of a father who has waited so long to see his son?" It was a voice accustomed to command, a voice steeped in pride and disdain. The voice of a nobleman. Enishi stopped in his tracks. He slowly turned. He had promised not to lose his temper when he questioned his father about Kaoru. He personally didn't care but he knew that Kaoru would not like him to disrespect his elders. It was something that mattered a lot to her and he would respect that above everything else.

"Father." He bowed stiffly. "I am happy to see you well."

"I would be happier still if those words were true."

Enishi remained silent. How could he try to convince his father that he cared when he wasn't sure himself if the respect he showed him was not just mere posturing and the result of long years of training? What he knew about his father didn't inspire much respect – he siphoned money from tax collections, he had a mistress, he frequented gambling dens and inevitably brothels and all his tenants wanted him dead. Would he respect such a man if he wasn't his son? Definitely not.

"Anyway, come inside. I am keen to hear about the war." He turned and stepped back inside, not bothering to check if Enishi followed or not. Enishi scowled and followed him inside to a room that might have been a library had his father had any taste for learning. His father sat imperiously in a fabulous beaten leather armchair that Enishi didn't recognise.

"Is that chair new?" He asked curiously. His father smiled proudly. He stroked the soft leather lovingly and nodded.

"I see you approve. Isn't she a beauty? I simply could not resist. She was shipped in last week. It took an entire wagon to bring her parts here, and then the carpenter put it together."

Enishi felt his frown grow deeper. "Great. The entire country is languishing in want and hunger, and you go buy yourself a chair…a chair you don't need."

"Don't presume you can tell me how to spend my money."

"It's hardly your money Father. It's an inheritance left to you, and most of it siphoned off from taxes that belong to the Shogun. The farmer who tills your fields probably has more right to it than you do. What did you ever do to earn it?"

"Listen to this boy! I do not need to earn it. I am a nobleman. It is my birthright - the right of my lineage and yours too. But of course, why would you understand? You are willing to dishonour our ancestors and our entire clan by bringing a peasant into this house!" His mouth twisted as his entire body convulsed with rage. "Did you think I would allow it?"

Enishi looked at him in disbelief. His father continued. "The daughter of a peasant becoming a part of this house, have you lost your mind?"

The subtle movement of his jaw clenching in barely controlled anger went unnoticed by his father. "I don't care if she's a peasant."

The lord pointed a finger at him. "You will not disgrace this house by allying with a peasant."

Enishi gave his eyes a slight roll and threw himself into a chair. His actions made it clear that he really didn't care what his father said anymore. "I don't think you heard me. I don't care if she's a peasant. I love her and I mean to marry her."

Enishi watched as his father stared at him in fury and then through tremendous focus, he contained his anger and pushed it deep inside him. The lord leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers. "She must be quite remarkable for you to be so taken with her. Tell me, what other talents does she have that you simply cannot do without her?"

Enishi scowled. He didn't like the tone his father took and he knew nothing good would come of it.

"You know, back in the day, when I was your age, there was a this girl from the village that I was interested in. She was fresh faced, young, beautiful and no less than a tigress in bed." He smirked. Enishi felt sick. He looked away.

"Don't finish whatever it is you wanted to say. I don't want to hear it. I should have known. Your mind can't process anything that goes beyond gold and a meaningless roll in the sheets."

The lord laughed shamelessly. "That's the beauty of it. Whether you like it or not, the truth is that girls like this Kaoru are meant to provide sport for men like us. Even if you want to ignore this truth, it doesn't mean others will do so as well."

Enishi shot a glance upwards. "Others? What do you mean 'others'?"

The lord laughed softly. "You really have no idea what happened do you?

Enishi stood. A chill ran down his spine and he fought a shudder as he looked into his father's eyes. "Tell me."

The lord leaned back in his chair, enjoying the torment that was so clearly visible in his son's face. It was time to strip away the wool settled over his eyes. By the time he finished, Enishi would be ready to kill the girl the second he laid eyes on her. "Your Kaoru… has run away…with a prisoner from the garrison…she has become the mistress of an Ishin Shishi assassin."

oOoOoOo

Kenshin kept his eyes shut as the first drops of tear water fell upon his forehead. The girl hurriedly wiped them away from his forehead even as she continued to sob pitifully as the train pulled away from the station. Her body jerked with the strain of trying to hold the tears in, her breath broke as she bit her lips, trying to drown her sobs in her throat, hoping that he wouldn't notice. He opened his eyes but didn't stir. By and by, as the miles raced past and the evening turned to twilight, her sobbing subsided. She pulled her hands away from her eyes and curled them into fists. She pressed them down into her knees, trying to gather strength. Finally, she stared out of the window with red eyes.

He wondered if he should say something. She was in obvious pain. So…there had been a man. Enishi….if he had heard correctly. Enishi….now where had he heard this name before? He just couldn't put his finger on it. He frowned. He had heard this name somewhere and now he couldn't remember where or when….wait….he remembered. It was at the house of the mole. Of course! That was his name! She had been so nervous entering the house and when she had found out that the owner of the house was the Ishin Shishi mole, she had been furious! Because of Enishi….because Enishi was fighting the rebels…that was it.

She was involved with a man called Enishi and this man's father had assisted the enemy in escaping – the enemy Enishi was fighting. Well, that certainly wasn't a comfortable situation to be in.

He stole a glance at her. She seemed beaten, defeated. He frowned. She didn't look right like this. Sitting there, staring out of the window looking so forlorn – somehow this picture rankled. It felt wrong. He had seen her smile once, and that's the only thing that fit. He shifted his position. Kaoru looked down, startled.

"What happened?" Her eyes grew wide as she watched his lips curl into a familiar smirk. He shook his head slightly, and his bangs fell into his eyes once more. Drawing his shoulders back, he placed a hand on her knee and stood. Grabbing the bedroll, he pulled it back a few paces and dropped down upon it. Settling his wrists upon his knees, he sat and stared at her.

Kaoru squirmed uncomfortably. She wasn't used to anyone staring at her so pointedly. It was downright indecent. She looked away in irritation, hoping that he would notice and stop his incessant staring. She frowned.

"What are you staring at?"

Kenshin quirked an eyebrow up. "Finally – she speaks. I thought you'd left your tongue behind in the village."

Kaoru turned to the window. "What do you want?"

"Who was that man?"

Kaoru turned stiff. She clenched her fingers, a gesture that didn't go unnoticed by the man sitting opposite her. He watched as she bunched her fingers into fists in the cloth of her kimono. "What man?"

"You know what I'm talking about. The man at the window."

Kaoru carefully steadied her breathing before answering. She shook her head earnestly. "There was nobody there. You're imagining things."

Kenshin laughed. "You know better than to try that with me kid."

"I'm not a kid!" Kaoru retorted.

"Yes, you are."

"You don't look at me like I'm a kid. You don't even treat me like one."

Kenshin wavered a bit. He smirked. This was quickly becoming interesting. He leaned forward, his voice soft and dangerous. "And just how do I look at you?"

Kaoru lowered her eyes. She knew better than to answer such a loaded question. The sound of his laughter forced her to look up again. He was grinning.

"I can't remember the last time I saw a girl turn into a tomato. You really are a kid. Now come on, who was he?"

Kaoru didn't look at him. Her thoughts had turned to Enishi again. She shut her eyes. It was only a matter of time before he reached home and then his father would tell him….and he would believe him….or would he? Everything was against her. How could she blame him if he really did believe all the rumours that would inevitably start floating about? Enishi….

"Hey, what happened?" Kenshin's voice suddenly was close, too close. His breath tickled her ear and she turned to find his face mere inches away from her own. Her eyes grew wide. He touched her face with his fingers. She pulled back and drew away from him skittishly. Only then did she realize that he wasn't looking at her but at his fingertips. They were glistening with moisture.

"You're crying again." He looked up at her, his face suddenly angry. "Why are you crying Kaoru?"

Kaoru slammed a fist into the bench she was sitting on. "Why do you care? It doesn't matter. Stop pretending to sympathise with me." She stood and walked to the door of the railcar, stumbling as the movement of the railcar unsettled her feet. She held on to the railing near the door, ignoring him as he came to stand opposite her.

"I don't care. I'm just curious. And if some amorous idiot is going to be following you, I need to know whether it's alright to kill him or not." He leaned against the side of the railcar.

Kaoru snapped her head towards him. "Don't talk like that."

Kenshin looked back at her with a challenge in his eyes. "So I kill him then?"

Kaoru smirked. "Enishi is an astounding swordsman. I doubt you'd be able to even land a hit."

Kenshin raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? I have half a mind to go back just to see if you're right."

Kaoru stiffened. "Really?"

He snorted. "Of course not. I have to get to Kyoto." He suddenly turned his head and held up a hand, signalling Kaoru to be silent. He frowned and grabbed her hand, pulling her further inside the railcar.

"What are you doing? Stop pulling me. What's going on?" Kaoru protested as he dragged her deeper and deeper into the railcar. They passed an odd assortment of passengers as they moved into the next car. Kaoru wondered if they were going to walk the length of the train when Kenshin suddenly pulled her up and told her to sit behind what looked like an upturned berth.

"Stay here. Don't make a sound and don't answer if someone comes calling for passengers. Okay?"

"Wait," she grabbed his sleeve, "Where are you going?"

"There's fighting going on outside. I'm just going to check on it." He stroked her face with his fingers. "Stay here." He smiled as he left, leaving Kaoru curious and anxious to know what had happened outside. Fighting? How come she couldn't hear anything? As though in answer to her query, the train suddenly slowed down and gradually lurched to a standstill. She could now hear the clang of swords and in the distance, sounds of men on horses. She shivered and hoped Kenshin would come back.

She yelped as an arrowhead pierced the steel of the railcar and embedded itself two inches away from her body. She exhaled. Just what had she gotten herself into?

**Author's Note**

Hope you all like this update. Please let me know what you think because I haven't written anything for this fic in over a year. And I am once again writing three fics at once. Not the best of ideas but have to move them along, you know.

Please review! Thank you!


	7. Chapter 7

**The Dance of the Firefly**

**Chapter 7: Lost Roads**

* * *

The thud of horse hoofs and the whizzing sounds of flying arrows ceased slowly. Kaoru opened her eyes and let her hands slip down from her ears to her cheeks. Nibbling on a pinky finger, she carefully looked from left to right, but the railcar was as abandoned as it had been when the prisoner dragged her inside. She frowned. There was nobody here. Perhaps, she should look around a little, find out what was going on…or maybe she should just stay where she was and wait for the prisoner…Kenshin… to come back. She sighed and slumped back against the dusty wall of the railcar. She really didn't need to have her arm twisted off again. He would come back eventually. The last thing she needed was to step out and land in the middle of an armed confrontation between the men who were beating the rail car walls with clubs and those who were shooting arrows at it.

There was a flash of movement at the entrance. Kaoru crouched low behind an uprooted wooden seat. She licked her lips nervously and waited. She counted the seconds ticking in her head. Still no Kenshin. Where had he gone….heavens, what if something happened to him? What if they caught him? What if….

"Boo." A sudden waft of hot breath in her ear made her jump. She whipped her head around to find the prisoner watching her with a smug smile on his face. She pursed her lips together, leaned forward and smacked him across the face. The sound of the slap echoed hollow in the empty railcar.

"What is wrong with you?" She hissed as loudly as possible without shrieking. He did not turn his face back. The faint imprint of her fingers traced a delicate red pattern on his pale cheek. He blinked once before turning his face to look at her. Something dark floated in his eyes as he stared back at her, stealing her breath away.

"You hit me." His voice was faint, but brimming with some unnamed emotion.

"You scared me." He arched an eyebrow. She stumbled for words, painfully aware that she had just struck a man who was an assassin for the rebel forces, a man whose livelihood depended on the expediency with which he sent people to their final resting place. She dry swallowed. This man unsettled her. She never really knew what to make of him. There had been a time yesterday as they had stood arguing in the middle of a mud-filled village road, that she had thought him mad, and pitiable. And here he was now, hair falling over his molten eyes that gleamed with fire, his voice raspy and his mood unstable. "I wasn't thinking. It was just an impulse."

That sent both his eyebrows shooting up. "I see." He smirked. "How interesting."

Kaoru looked at him suspiciously. "What is?"

"That you see fit to indulge…your impulses with me."

Kaoru stared at him. There was nothing wrong with his words…not entirely, but she couldn't shake the feeling that they were no longer talking about the same thing anymore. Or that he was thinking of something that really didn't relate to her little act of defiance. And that she should really be affronted by the silky, smooth timbre of his voice and that he was really saying something that was grossly inappropriate. Then he looked away and the little bubble of oppressive silence between them burst into nothingness.

He stood, pulling her up to her feet. "Come on, we have to go."

"But…what about all that noise…and those people?" She grabbed their little bundle of food and clothes and craned her neck, looking back at the devastated railcar, even as he urged her to walk faster. Slipping out of the railcar, he turned to her. Placing his hands on her waist, he quickly pulled her out of there and stood her on the ground before she could protest.

She wriggled away from his grasp, but he hardly noticed. He was busy looking for something on the ground. "It's alright. There's no need to worry." He retrieved her sandal from a depression on the knobbly ground and knelt, patting his knee. She stared at him.

"What are you doing?" She asked uncertainly.

He glanced up at her. "That cut on your leg is still raw. Just put your foot here", he patted his knee again, "I'll slip your sandal on and we can be on our way."

Kaoru blinked and looked down. She raised her foot, slowly, too slowly if his reaction was any indication. He rolled his eyes, grabbed her ankle and hoisted it upon his knee. He slid the sandal onto her foot in one swift movement and stood. Kaoru bit her lip and stood awkwardly while he secured his sword to his hip tightly. She looked down, letting her hair fall into her eyes so she wouldn't have to look at him and more importantly, so he wouldn't see the red tinge dusted across her cheeks. His unexpected kindness was surprising after his early rough behaviour. She wasn't sure if she should thank him or not. Ultimately she decided against it – it was all his idea wasn't it? Kaoru frowned as she was suddenly having trouble figuring out what to do with her hands, so she bunched her fingers in the material of her kimono, hoping that her rigid, soldier-like stance wouldn't be commented upon.

She needn't have worried since Kenshin made no mention of her sudden silence or the stiff way she stood at attention. "The men who attacked the railcar just now are rebels. I managed to speak to their captain and they've given us safe passage till the next town. Of course, we are going to have to walk. They're putting barricades across the tracks."

"Ugh, couldn't they have stopped the train until we were in next town or something. We've hardly covered any ground. I think I can still see the garrison from here." She held her hand over her eyes and peered into the distance. Kenshin looked at her and smirked.

"Really now, being with me has spoilt you. Now you can't even walk the short distance to the next village."

"That's rubbish and you know it." She deftly caught the apple that came sailing over his shoulder. "Where did you get these?"

"It's difficult guarding all the shogun's orchards in times like these. One of the guards decided to be generous and help the cause of the revolution."

"By giving you apples?"

"Yes." He rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me you have moral compulsions about eating stolen fruit because between here and next town, there's nothing to be had. And I don't fancy wandering around some destitute village stealing the last shreds of stale boiled cabbage when you start whining about starving." He bit into the apple.

"Who do you think I am? I am no stranger to eating stolen apples. I just don't go around bragging about it." She swallowed. A little juice dribbled down her chin. She didn't seem to notice it because she continued to munch away at the apple. Kenshin smiled. She was like a child in so many ways. He looked away before she became aware of his scrutiny. Tossing the apple core away, she hurried to catch up with him.

"You never finished telling me about that man." He didn't slow his pace; he didn't even turn to look at her. Kaoru bit into her lip thoughtfully, hoping that if she remained quiet, Kenshin would drop the subject. She didn't want to tell him about Enishi. It was personal. What right did he have for asking her? Why should she tell him? And even if she did, he would just laugh at her and call her a simpleton. All he needed to know was that Enishi was an aristocrat and he would tell her what most rational people thought – that he was just playing around with her, that there was no reason for an aristocrat to be interested in her. And she didn't want to hear it again. Least of all from a man who had just given her a stolen apple.

"Well?" He was nothing if not tenacious. She groaned.

"Don't you have other things to think about?" She replied waspishly.

"Oh, nothing quite as interesting as this. Come on, tell me. It'll help pass time. Besides, we're travelling together. We should know each other better." He turned and offered her a devilish grin.

"There's nothing to tell. He's somebody I used to know in the village, and…and he's probably going to ask about me and maybe they will send soldiers after me!" She finished flippantly; her smile grew wide but the mirth she wanted so desperately to show just didn't reach her eyes.

"And they shall come and rescue you from big, bad me. Bad man gets clapped into irons and the fair maiden goes home to the arms of her pining lover." He scoffed. "Fairy tales don't come true in real life."

Kaoru stopped walking. Kenshin stopped as soon as he felt her footfalls cease. He turned to look at her. She watched him with numb eyes. "What if they send someone for me? What will you do?"

He stepped closer to her and cupped her face in his hands. Lifting her face, he looked straight into her eyes. "If they try to take you away from me, I will kill them." Kaoru felt her breath shudder. He ran the pad of his thumb over her lips. "If you choose to go…of your free will, I will try and persuade you to stay."

"Why?"

He shook his head sadly then shrugged as he struggled to find the words to explain his predicament to her. Did she realize what she was doing every moment that she remained at his side? Every moment they spent bickering and arguing, he was moving further and further away from the person he had trained himself to become for years. When she had asked him why he'd taken her along, he'd evaded her. He hadn't had the courage to tell her. He had always prided himself on being someone who understood what he did and the reasons why he did things. Kenshin knew what he was, but knowing this also meant that he couldn't run from the fact that his attraction to this girl was fast evolving from the superficial lust any man feels when he sees a beautiful woman to an emotional connection that would leave him bereft if she were to leave him now.

"I'd forgotten….what it's like….to be able to talk to someone who won't tremble just by looking at me. Now that I know what it feels like again, I don't want it to stop. I can't stop. Do you understand? I don't feel like a monster when you talk back to me." He smiled. "It's almost as though the past ten years never happened." His voice was very faint. She couldn't be certain if he was really saying the words she heard or if it was all just a figment of her imagination torn by exhaustion.

"If I do not want to stay, will you let me go?"

"If you do not want to stay, you will have left already. There will be nobody left for me to persuade." He let his hands drop. "You are no prisoner Kaoru. You never have been. I want you to stay with me, and come with me to Kyoto. If you wish to return once we get there, I will make it happen. Nothing will happen that you do not wish for." Kaoru bit her lip and stared at her feet, her forehead furrowed in concentration. He did not know what she as thinking but he suspected it had something to do with the blue-eyed man they had left behind at the railway station. Kenshin felt a momentary madness sweep through his body as he felt the cold stranglehold of jealousy tighten around his neck only to dismiss it in the very next moment. Who was he to feel jealous? And for her? She was a sweet, kind girl who had helped him in the only way she knew and he held no part in her world. She deserved somebody who was…well, at the very least she deserved someone who wasn't guilty of mass murder for whatever reason.

He stepped back. She didn't need somebody like him to taint her pristine life. Already, her life had been thrown into chaos because of his interference. But, maybe, he could keep her with him, just for a little while. For a little while, he could steal her away from the world.

X

"How much further?" She called out weakly.

"Just a bit more."

"That's what you said two hours ago!" She huffed in annoyance.

Kenshin shook his head. "I didn't know you were paying attention."

"Of course I'm paying attention."

"I'm flattered."

"Not like there's much else to do." Kaoru grumbled under her breath. She groaned. The wind had picked up. The afternoon sunshine had given way to early evening fog and she couldn't see anything beyond ten metres. To make matters worse, the rain had started again. The thin cloth of her kimono did little to keep the cold at bay and the wind threw needle-like drops of rain into her eyes and bit into her cheeks. Her lips were cracked. She shivered. Her clothes were damp, her hair stuck to her scalp and her teeth chattered.

"Kenshin."

"What?"

"I'm tired."

He stopped and turned to her. "We can't stop Kaoru. We have to keep going."

"But, I'm really tired." She sniffed. "And I'm hungry and cold. Can we just sit down for a while?"

"Sit down where? There's nothing out here." He closed his mouth abruptly. She looked like she was ready to cry. He sighed. He looked around. "Alright, there has to be a village nearby. We have been walking for hours. Let's see if someone has a barn or someplace we can make a shelter. Come on." He held his hand out. She sighed and took it.

They trudged down the visible portion of the road together, occasionally stumbling over an upturned root or large rock but mostly managing to keep to the track. Soon enough, they could see faint lights glowing in the distance. As they walked closer, the lights grew until they materialized into a fairly large inn. The main doors were shut but a smaller door to the left, opened into a small room that also served as a makeshift liquor shop. A group of men sat around a fire, taking turns drinking from a bottle of cheap rice wine. Kenshin pulled back. He pushed Kaoru behind him, silently asking her to keep quiet. As he approached, the curtain that hung across the room's door was pulled back and a woman in a loose kimono stepped out. She was strikingly beautiful. The swell of her breasts was visible but only just. The tantalizing curves of her body were only aluded to, not put on display, not like the woman they'd run into earlier, at the railway station, She held herself with a confidence that would make it difficult to look at her with anything but respect.

Her hips swayed as she walked out into the foggy night. Behind her, a wiry man in scruffy clothes rushed out, waving a bamboo umbrella. "Ai-chan! Ai-chan! Don't go out in the dark alone. Wait for me." His words slurred together and he struggled to open the umbrella. The woman glanced at him and smiled, softly shaking her head at his silliness. He finally shook the umbrella open and stepped up to her, holding it above her head.

The woman smiled. "Why thank you Aramaki-san. I never would have taken you for a gallant."

The man grinned widely. "As long as you take me, Ai-chan."

Kaoru buried her head in Kenshin's shoulders to stifle her giggles. Kenshin glared at her. He squeezed her hand painfully as she continued to laugh softly. The amorous couple pair under the umbrella turned to them.

"And who are you?" The woman addressed Kenshin. She produced a fan out of nowhere and artfully positioned it to reveal just her eyes and the corner of her painted mouth. Kaoru watched with wide-eyed fascination. The manoeuvre was beautiful. It gave her an air of mystery, and Kaoru thought she looked quite worldly and sophisticated. She looked down at her damp and dirty kimono, at the stringy strands of hair that had escaped from her ponytail and then looked back at the woman who looked like she was made for seduction. She couldn't help but feel a small twinge of envy and sighed.

"Just passing through." Kaoru snapped her head up to look at him. His demeanour seemed to have changed completely. He spoke with a disdainful haughtiness that reminded her of Enishi's father rather than the gentle man who had been travelling with her so far. He held his sword with one hand, the thumb resting against the hilt, as though ready to draw the blade in an instant if he so chose, and the fingers cradling the sheath. The fingers of his other hand entwined with hers and held her back, hiding her from the gaze of the woman and her companion.

He glanced at the inn. "I need a place to stay for the night." The woman exchanged a glance with the man at her side. He arched an eyebrow. The woman inclined her head and tried to sneak a glance at Kaoru.

"Just you?"

"Answer the questions I ask and we'll be alright."

The woman laughed softly. "Oh my, I think I touched a raw nerve." She shut the fan and smiled prettily. "It's a busy time. There's a festival in the village tomorrow and we just received a company of swordsmen on their way to Kyoto. If you don't mind, I can inquire if there is a room available." She turned to go.

Kenshin clenched his fingers over his sword. Swordsmen on the way to Kyoto? He inwardly rolled his eyes. He couldn't possibly have such abysmal luck. Matters couldn't get any worse than if Saitou himself materialised in the doorway to this inn and demanded a match. He glanced at Kaoru who was fighting hard to keep her trembling in control. Her hand felt like ice. Her teeth were chattering yet she stood quietly by his side. He frowned. He would have to risk it. First, he needed to find out who these swordsmen were then, he would figure out the rest.

"Wait." The woman turned. Kenshin let Kaoru's fingers slip out of his hand and walked to the woman. Tilting his head slightly, he whispered something in her ear. She looked surprised but masked it quickly and shooting him a self-satisfied smile, she disappeared inside. Kenshin stood watching her for a moment before he returned to Kaoru who was inwardly seething. Inexplicable as it was, watching him speak into the woman's ear and follow her with his eyes made her feel sick.

"We should be inside soon and you can get warmed up." Kaoru glared at him, earning a baffled stare in response. She shook her head in disbelief and turned away from him. Kenshin frowned but the woman appeared in the doorway once again before he could ask Kaoru why she looked so angry. She gestured them to follow her. Holding a lamp up in one hand, she swiftly took them behind the inn and through a bamboo grove. The three kept walking in silence until the woman reached a hut. She turned to face them both. Smirking at Kaoru, she dipped her fingers into her cleavage and pulled out a key which she held out to Kenshin. Kaoru rolled her eyes and Kenshin stared back at her blankly.

"You will be safe here. Nobody from the house can see this hut. There's some firewood inside." She leaned against the wall of the hut. "All the other rooms were taken by the gentlemen who arrived his afternoon. Apparently, the rebels have barred the rail tracks with trees and carts. So, a team of the Shinsengumi had arrived to investigate." Kenshin froze. The woman turned to him and smiled. "Don't worry. I didn't tell them anything."

Kenshin nodded and unlocked the door. He lifted the bundle of things given to them by the mole in the village and dropped it in front of the woman. "It's not much but, it's all we have right now." Kaoru looked from the woman to him and rolling her eyes, stepped into the hut. Kenshin nodded at the woman one last time before he tried to follow Kaoru inside. An arm shot out, stopping him. He sighed and turned to her. "What do you want?"

The woman smirked. "That little girl doesn't look like she would even know what to do with a man. If you get tired of her, you know where to find me." Smiling, she let her arm drop and sashayed down the corridor, leaving Kenshin to shake his head in amusement as he too, stepped inside the loft. It was barely five metres wide. Kaoru sat shivering to one side. She rubbed her hands together to warm them up and kept her eyes on the floor. Kenshin arched an eyebrow and sat down opposite her. She didn't speak. He sighed.

"Do you want to tell me what's wrong with you?" He asked.

"Why don't you ask Miss Painted Lips? I'm sure she'll be able to tell you lots about it." She replied testily. She had heard what that woman had said to him right outside. She wasn't deaf! And what was that supposed to mean, anyway. She knew what men and women do, she wasn't an idiot. She had kissed Enishi, many times and….and…they had almost done _that_ before he left. She wasn't the innocent little baby everyone thought she was. She had experienced lust and desire, just like any girl her age. But that didn't mean that she had to behave like that white-faced cat to prove her femininity. She was fine the way she was. And if Kenshin had a problem with that, well then he could go to her when he wanted. She didn't care. Wait a minute….. What was she saying….

"What are you talking about?"

She snapped out of her thoughts. "Don't act like you don't know. I saw you, the secretive whispering and the looks, I'm not stupid."

"I'm inclined to think so right now."

"Ugh..I don't care. Go! Go on, go to her."

"Go to whom? I don't understand."

"You're unbelievable! Alright, I'll tell you. That woman who was just here. Go to her."

"Okay. And why should I do that?"

"Because she's not a little girl who has no idea what to do with a man." Kaoru answered carelessly, not bothering to think about how it would be received by Kenshin. She bit her tongue the second the words left her mouth. Embarrassed beyond belief, Kaoru quickly turned away and buried her face in her knees.

Kenshin laughed. "Gods…you're jealous."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

She turned to glare at him. "I am not."

"Then explain your rabid reaction to whatever she said about you."

"She had no right! What I do or do not do, whether or not I do it, is none of her business, how dare she talk about me like that?"

"Why are you letting it affect you? So she said something; it doesn't mean anything. Why does it matter so much?"

"Because…" _She__said__it__to__you_. Kaoru shut her mouth and stared at her hands. She shivered as the adrenaline brought on by anger wore off. "It doesn't matter." She said in a small voice. "You're right. It doesn't matter. I don't know what came over me. I'm just….tired, I guess."

Kenshin nodded his head slowly, his mind grasping immediately what Kaoru's mind had realized and immediately pushed away. She didn't want him to think that she was a novice or unattractive. He was new, exciting and different from the life she had known so far. She was curious. He was dangerous, mild, gentle and rough in turns. He was unpredictable and unsettling. Both qualities intrigued and drew her near leaving her wanting more. He looked away, at a loss of what to do with this information.

Kaoru bit her lip. Why had she lost her cool like that? What must Kenshin think of her? Alright, honestly, she wanted to know more about him, what were the things he did, why he did them too. She wanted to know how he could be so gentle to her and switch to ruthless the very next moment, when it suited him.

The walls of the huts shook as the wind blew gustily outside. Kaoru shivered again. She rubbed her hands together with greater vigour. Her damp kimono and her wet hair weren't helping her cause. Kenshin stood. "We need to build a fire."

"But, there's hardly any room for that."

"There's just enough room. Besides, we need to get you out of those clothes before you freeze to death." Kaoru gaped at him, talking about removing her clothes as though he were talking about the weather. Kenshin looked into the small pit of sand in the centre of the hut. He looked up. Sure enough, there was a small gap amongst the wooden planks that made the ceiling, to allow for smoke to waft away from the hut. He pulled the bundle of firewood near and quickly set about building a fire. Using the lamp to light it, he stood. He pulled his damp gi off in one fluid motion. Kaoru first stared then jumped up with a yelp. Her face was flushed and she momentarily forgot about the cold seeping into her bones.

"What are you doing? Stop! Stop that right now!" She spoke rapidly, clamping her hand over her eyes. Kenshin glanced at her briefly before patting his hakama down, checking for dampness. He breathed in relief. His pants were mostly dry. He settled down beside the fire, quietly feeding it twigs and brushwood to keep it going. Kaoru sat down across him, shaking her hair to rid it of excess moisture. He glanced at her.

"It's no use if your clothes are wet; you realize that, don't you?"

"What are you….just forget it! There is no way I'm taking my clothes off, you…you pervert!"

Kenshin rolled his eyes. "Your kimono is wet. You'll catch your death if you don't get into something dry and warm."

"I'm fine." She replied quickly.

"You're fine?"

"Yes." She replied, teeth chattering. Kenshin shut his eyes and shook his head.

"Alright, would it help if I swear I won't attack your maidenly modesty while you're …." He waved his hands in front of her. "I mean, I'm sure I can control my base instincts at least for a little while. I won't pounce on you straight away, I'll give you fair warning. You're free to run if you want."

"Stop joking about it. It's not funny."

"Tell me what to do Kaoru. I can hear your teeth knocking together all the way over here."

"Just stop telling me what to do, alright. I am fine. I won't die of a little cold."

"Fine. Feel free to freeze." He spread his gi flat on the floor in front of the fire and settled against the opposite wall and propped his swords against the wall. Crossing his arms over his chest, he rested his chin on his chest and shut his eyes.

Kaoru wrapped her arms around her body and began to rock to and fro. She held her hands out to the fire and ran them down her arms, clapped them together, blew on them but the trembling didn't stop. She sat facing the fire, but then her back began to hurt because of the cold. When she turned her back towards the fire, her hands froze and a strange constricting pain rose in her chest. She stood and started to pace in the tiny room until Kenshin glared at her and icily told her to sit. Her fingers were numb from the cold and she no longer had the will to move around to keep herself warm.

"Kenshin." She whispered from across the room. He raised his head a fraction, letting her know he had heard her.

"I'm feeling c-cold, Kenshin. It w-won't stop."

He rolled his eyes. "Will you please grow up and stop acting like a child about it?" He glared at her.

Kaoru bit her lip. "I….."

"Tsk." He rolled his eyes. "Gods, I am not trying to satisfy any dark urges. I am not in the least interested in what you look like when you're naked, alright? Now will you let me help you?"

Kaoru stuck her lower lip out stubbornly and turned away. "Not if you're going to be beastly about it."

He took a deep breath. She had to be the most stubborn girl he'd ever met. "Fine." He paused. "I'll be on my best behaviour."

Kaoru turned back to him by degrees. "Really?" A slow smile was already forming on her lips.

Kenshin smirked. It was that easy to make her happy. "Yes, really. Now, grab that futon over there. You can hold it around you when…." He trailed off. She shifted from one foot to another.

"I'll turn around." He offered.

"Close your eyes as well."

He rolled his eyes, but complied. Kaoru took a deep breath and slowly began to undo the strings of her obi. Placing it on the floor beside her, she straightened once more.

"Are you done yet?"

"Don't turn around. And keep your eyes closed!" Her hands froze, and her voice rose with panic.

"Fine, fine. Quiet down, even if someone didn't know we're hidden here, they'll find out because of your screaming." He grumbled.

Kaoru stuck her tongue out at him. Checking once again, to make sure he really wasn't looking at her, she slipped the garment off her shoulders and down her body. Shivering in the sudden chill that enveloped her, she quickly shook the futon and wrapped it around herself as best as she could. Her breast bindings were mercifully dry so she wouldn't feel completely bare even if the futon slipped by mistake. She laid the kimono out to dry by the fire. Pulling and tugging the futon this way and that, she finally settled down, feeling terribly self-conscious.

She sniffed. "Um…you can turn now." She stared at the floor. It was really very fascinating. She'd never noticed how interesting a wooden floor could be before. Kenshin turned and sat down without saying anything. If he noticed anything strange about the way she was holding on to the futon, he didn't mention it. In fact, he scarcely glanced her way, perfectly content to sit and stare at the walls.

The silence was suddenly interrupted by a sneeze. Kaoru covered her mouth and looked distraught. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean…" She was interrupted by another sneeze. She sniffled. Kenshin blinked. He narrowed his eyes. "Are you still feeling cold?"

She shook her head vigourously. "N-n-no. I'm fine. I'm warm."

"Okay."

Kenshin decided to stare at wall some more. The planks were teak. Kaoru sneezed. Whoever had this hut built, hadn't intended for it to go to ruin. Even in its dilapidated condition, the quality of wood was undeniable. She sneezed again. The floor was really smooth. And the ceiling was perfect, all excess smoke went out and the heat remained inside. And…sneeze…again.

"Kaoru…"

"I'm so sorry. I don't know what's happening."

He was quiet. He should let it go, really. She would be fine by morning….if she survived till morning….

"Kaoru…are you still cold?"

She looked back at him, teary-eyed, feebly nodding her head. He sighed. "Well then….I guess, you'd better…come here." He tried to keep his voice as neutral and devoid of feeling as possible. Kaoru slowly crawled over to him. She stopped next to him. He took her hand and turned her so she faced away from him, her back against his chest. He pulled the futon away, ignoring her horrified gasp as he did so. Folding his arms over hers, across her chest, he pulled her flush against himself, his legs rested on either side of hers and his chin rested upon her shoulder. His warm breath floated over the cold skin of her neck.

Her shivering subsided gradually even though her heartbeat showed no sign of slowing. She stiffened as his breath wafted across her skin once more, "Are you still cold?"

Kaoru gulped. She shook her head. "N-no. Um, I'm better now."

"Good."

The silence stretched uncomfortably. The close proximity put an end to any conversation. Even thinking proved to be too difficult a task to handle when each nerve and fibre of the body was bursting with the awkwardness of it all. Kaoru bit her lip.

"This is strange."

"Yes, it is." He agreed quickly.

"Tell me something, Kenshin."

"What do you want to know?"

"Tell me something about you."

He chuckled. "Nothing to tell. I'm a very boring person."

"Shouldn't I be the judge of that?"

He chuckled once more. Kaoru decided she liked the sound of that. "What do you want to know?"

She nibbled on her lip before answering. "Enishi's father said you were an assassin for the rebels. How did you become an assassin?"

He glanced at her. "Terribly inquisitive, aren't we?"

She arched an eyebrow and looked back at him, ignoring the butterflies that swam around in her stomach at the sight of his amber eyes. "I've never let a man so close before, I think I've earned the right to be inquisitive."

He raised his eyebrows at that and smirked. Shaking his head, he let loose a breath and spoke. "I became an assassin…because I was a fool." He smiled bitterly. "Ten years ago, I left my master's home to become an assassin. Ten years later, I'm still not any wiser than I was when I left."

"That's harsh."

"That's the truth."

"Tell me a story then."

"A story? A fairy tale?"

"A tragedy, a comedy….anything you like."

"Hmmm…well, once upon a time there was a man locked up in a deep, dark dungeon." He glanced at Kaoru. She was smiling. He continued. "He had no light, except for the days they brought him out to see the sky. On one such day, he saw…a little ball of light just beyond the bars. It was….the most beautiful thing he had ever seen…" Kenshin voice lowered to a mere whisper. "And he wanted that light more than he had ever wanted anything in his life, so he caught it and ran away with it. But there was no place in his dungeon to keep the light. So….he let it go and decided to forget it….the end."

Kaoru frowned. "That's the end? That can't be the end."

Kenshin shrugged. "That's the end."

"But, why?"

"Because….light does not belong in deep, dark dungeons."

Kaoru laughed. "You are a strange man. Why…a deep, dark dungeon is exactly where light belongs."

"Is that so?" He asked huskily.

"Yes."

"Even if it is very frightening in there, do you think the light would survive?"

"Of course. It's light. It brings dark things into the light. That's what it is for."

"Oh."

"Yes."

**Author's Note**

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